Robin Hood
by lookingatthepieces
Summary: In an alternate universe Dean Winchester works together with his little brother Sam. They have taken on the role of the infamous figure Robin Hood, but behind the mask life isn't so simple. And when a stranger named Castiel rolls into town, they begin to learn about people they never knew, and creatures they didn't know existed. What is this strangers story? Who is Castiel?
1. Under the Hood

Chapter 1: Under the Hood

The branches swayed in the breeze, causing rays of light to shift and dance. It created a beautiful pattern on the forest below. The animals were scurrying about their usual business. The calm morning air was pleasant- it was absolutely fit for hunting.

Andrew ducked behind a tree, watching the deer. It was one of the lord's deer- he was on his property. Still he needed the deer to feed his family and so he supposed he would need to take the risk. He was desperate, his eyes followed the animal slowly. He was tracking each movement, each footstep. From this distance it was hard to tell if the deer was a foul or full grown- he hoped it was the later.

Andrew Gallagher drew his bow back pointing it carefully and stopping to observe the conditions. There was a gentle breeze coming from due north west and so he adjusted slightly. He wasn't fantastic with a bow but he believed that he would be able to do what he needed. He could kill this deer and he and his brother would have food for the upcoming winter.

He let his arrow fly, but it missed the mark- landing just above the deer on a nearby tree. "Alack!" he muttered to himself. Then he heard a soft clicking of hooves in the distance- he ducked behind the tree next to him.

The lord's men.

"Hark! I hear thy footsteps, off yonder!" a voice shouted- dismounting and walking around. "I abhor playing this game of cat and mouse. Now come hither, prithee."

Andrew sunk against the tree. It was only a matter of time before they found him- usually the penalty for killing the lords game was an arm. He shuddered, causing the leaves to rustle below him. He prayed that they wouldn't find him hiding amongst the greenery. Yet, he knew that he shouldn't falsify his hopes- the lord's men always found their prey.

"We shall find thee, puking ill-breeding lout! It shall be best for ye to come out now. Before we tear thy flesh from they bones!" he hissed. Zachariah was infamous amongst among the commoners as the harshest and most petty of the lord's enforcers.

He stalked around, looking for his prey- he had to be here somewhere...

"Are ye prepared?" a soft voice asked readying his bow from the shadows.

"Aye." his brother returned, readying himself.

The elder brother nodded and flashed a quick smile before he pulled his hood up over his face. He rose to his feet pointing his bow at the ring leader of the pack. "Hark!" he shouted, drawing the attention of everyone.

"Go to, ye insufferable whelp. Thou should'st flee before he has intervened in the kings affairs. I shall turn my head, if ye still wish to retreat." Zachariah retorted, reaching for an arrow out of his holster.

The elder brother smirked below his hood, allowing an arrow to fly and knock back Zachariah's holster. "It would be unwise to underestimate me. Me thinks ye has a death wish of sorts."

The younger brother took his cue, pulling the strings he was holding. The tree's began to rustle as if the kings men were surrounded. Sam smiled, content to know that his contraption was working. This was the way the Winchesters operated- Dean would be the figure head (although no one knew who he actually was) and Sam would do the leg work. In some instances- like this one- he would fake back up.

The Winchesters rarely worked with other people, since they had very few companions. Sometimes family friends, but more often then not- they would need to fake their numbers. Sam often worked up contraptions to make them appear as if they were many instead of two. It was true, Sam was the brains.

Then there was Dean- he was the figure. The masked man who punished the wicked and gave to the poor. Few knew of his identity, but that was the point. The reason that this gig worked for them was that no one knew who was behind the mask. Dean chuckled a little, seeing the king's men squirm.

"Fie. Its the cutpurse, Robin hood." Zachariah cursed. "Retreat men. I shall stay and hold him. Return to the king and let him know what has happened."

"As you will." Dean retorted, shooting an arrow that whizzed only inches away from Zachariah's head. He cursed loudly and rode off with his men. Once the king's men were gone Dean pulled his hood off- ducking into the shadows of the trees. "Come hither Sammy. We shall return home."

"It was dangerous for ye to let that arrow fly, Dean." Sam whined, looking irritated. His companion merely shrugged his shoulder's. Sam rolled his eyes then gazed over to the man they had saved. The two stayed in the trees until they were sure that they had escaped the man they saved sights. The two of them needed to remain incognito if they were going to keep up there work. Once they were out of the wood work- heading towards town Sam decided to renew his argument. "I was serious Dean, me thinks you have some type of death wish. What if the king's men had pursued?!"

"Then we would have dealt with it as we saw fit." Dean retorted, with irritation in his tone. His brother was always nagging him about things like this. Dean didn't see the point in being so worried about things. They always muddled through- they were always able to get what they needed done. He always escaped without anyone finding out who he was.

So what was the big issue with him taking a few risks? This wasn't his first performance and it certainly wouldn't be his last.

"One of these days we will be caught because of thy carelessness." Sam sighed rolling his eyes and punching his brother in his arm. "Perhaps ye are trying to get us caught?"

"N'er." Dean answered his voice dripping with sarcasm. Sam punched his brother again for good measure. "If thou punch me one more time, brother." he threatened. Sam shrugged, knowing that it was a hollow threat.

The two walked side by side enjoying the gentle breeze of mid fall. The country side was most beautiful this time of year. The fields were ripe and ready for harvest and many peasants were about reaping wheat with their sickles. This was Dean's favorite time of year- the autumn was just so refreshing.

Though he still wasn't fond of walking. Why did he let his brother talk him into walking instead of riding? They had left their horses at Bobby's- one of the few people who actually knew what they were out doing.

It had all started after their father passed away. Originally, he was the real Robin hood- Sam and Dean followed to do the leg work. However, he had gotten ill in the past winter and he had passed away. To the world, Robin hood stood as a figure of hope. A beckon of light for those who were unable to stand up for themselves.

So after John Winchester passed, Dean took his place. No one knew who was under the hood so the transition was simple. There was a little bit of adjustment time, since now instead of two boys to do leg work Dean could only rely on Sam. Still they worked well as a team and Sam was one of the most clever people Dean had ever met.

He trusted his brother with his life. Believing wholeheartedly that Sam would come through for him every single time.

Sam had never known his mother and Dean only barely knew her. She had passed away in child birth, John had been heart broken. He had tried to get her in to see one of the king's doctors, since she was ill in the months leading up to her death. He saved up all the money that he could find and offered it as payment. Yet they still refused her treatment. John had wanted nothing more then to get her well before the baby but, the doctors refused to see her.

And it was this moment, when the gears in Johnathan Winchester's brain started turning. The abacus started to click together, calculating a plan to get revenge. It was always about revenge, wasn't it? Dean had never been angry at the king's men for what they did to his mother. Then after his father passed he refused to blame them for that either. But Sam did.

Keeping the Winchester fire alive.

In a way, his becoming Robin hood was a way of preventing people for having accidents like Mary. He would steal from the wealthy and give to those in need. Though it was a good use of his revenge- taking from the dicks in charge and giving to those in need. He was doing it for all the wrong reasons. Then there was the fact that John raised his boys in the ways of thievery, both Dean and Sam were capable of being Robin hood. On rare occasions they would both dress in the costume to confuse their pursuers.

For a while, Sam ran away from helping saying that revenge was never over. Saying that he never wanted to help dad and his brother to continue the cycle. He didn't know his mother and doing this would never bring her back to life. But, that was before a group of bandits took away the love of his life.

About two and a half years back, a nasty group of bandits had rode through town. The usual type of demands; women, booze, money, food, valuables. They gathered all of the women into the center of town, saying that if the villagers paid a hefty some of gold they would remain unscathed. Otherwise they would be taken as needed for some _entertainment_. Among those girls was Sam's lover. Jessica.

Sadly, the demands were not met, the villagers refused to turn over their daughters. Besides that, the town was small and mostly poor. They didn't have the money or the food to provide for a bunch of bandits anyway. Because of their refusal to cooperate with the 'authorities' the whole place was burned. Sam's girlfriend Jessica was among the villagers that passed in the fire.

From that moment on, Sam was never the same. He insisted that he get back in on the life, he wanted to save people and get revenge. Sam was more like his father then he would ever know. Their father got ill and passed away soon after that, flaming the fire in Sam's belly even further. For a while there, Sam was actually kind of scary. He insisted on being the figure head for a while and insisted on taking stupid jobs that were almost suicidal.

Though over time, Sam had started to mellow out. He had stopped wanting to be the one on the front line and he had stopped wanting to kill himself on the job. Dean was grateful for Sam's mellowing out it made looking out for him much easier.

He was glad things were finding a sense of normalcy now.

So on an average day Dean would usually take on the roll. He felt that it was his job to protect his younger brother. So it was easier for Dean to be the figure- if anyone would be caught and hung it would be Dean. He was determined to make sure that he took that fall, not his younger brother who had so much to live for.

Anyway, Bobby was like their own blood. When their father passed he took them in and gave them a home. He didn't have much to offer as most of the town only saw him as a drunk, but Bobby was amazing at gathering information. He had shelves upon shelves of books that he collected. People who were close to him considered him the local library.

Most of the jobs the brothers took were from Bobby. He was very good at finding those in need. Bobby also helped Sam and Dean to come up with a lot of their get away tricks. He was very clever, even when he was drunk. The three worked together to help those in need. Those who had no one else to turn to.

And when they were lucky- they were able to screw the king's men. Which delighted Dean and Sam more then it should have.

The king ruled over the country. He wasn't a bad king, but there was a lot of poverty, illness, civil wars, and death. The king had little hand in anything these days. People were dying and he didn't do anything to stop it. He was uninvolved and that's what made him a bad ruler. In fact the country was in a state of chaos at the moment, people stood at a crossroads- divided.

The king had recently turned over a large portion of his power to his first born son, Michael. Apparently, Michael was a a student of some of the finest military tacticians in history. He learned from the best and so the king had relinquished a lot of his power to Michael.

However, his second born did not approve and denounced the king and his brother as traitors to the land. A large portion of the military had segregated themselves from the king and civil war was declared. Many of the smaller villages had been destroyed or screwed over (especially with winter approaching quickly). When the brother's went to war, it was all the little people who paid the price. Michael divided his forces into two groups; the king's (or the lord's) men who where in charge of enforcing order along the country side and the main army which would be mobilized when needed.

However there was a problem with Michael splitting the group into two- the king's men? They were completely inconsiderate to the little people. They had burnt down, pillaged, ravaged, and destroyed multiple towns. Leaving many people starving, without homes, or without enough food for the winter.

Sadly, Michael was the more considerate of the two. He tried to do as little as possible to the towns in the cross fire. The problem was that his men didn't always follow Michael's lead. Lots of nobles had a difficulties caring about peasants. They never had any problems with the winter so why should they be considerate of those who did?

They needn't be.

Yet the king never did anything to intervene. He simply let Michael do what he saw fit. Mostly Michael just sent soldiers to do whatever needed to be done. Many of those soldiers had their own agendas and it was people like that, that Dean and Sam stole from. They couldn't stand to sit idly by while peoples lives were ruined.

So Robin hood naturally became a figure head for those who were in need. Those who needed someone to defend them. A faceless renegade who protected the weak and punished the wicked. Strangely, Dean didn't think of himself as righteous or think that he was grand. He just knew that if no one stood up for these people, they'd never survive.

Bobby's home was on the outskirts of the village. He wasn't a friend to most of the town, since everyone seemed to think he was full of nonsense. The good news was that the home was surprisingly spacious for someone of his class. The manor had been inherited from his father before him, it was just across the moors outside of town. It took only fifteen minutes to get into the market to buy the necessities.

Yet the land around it was spacious and Bobby had made an archery range in the back. It was mostly for Sam and Dean to practice now, though back in the day Bobby also shot a bow. There was even enough room to ride a horse as you practiced, though Sam and Dean rarely shot arrows while mounted. There was also a fresh well which made drawing water convenient. Bobby's home had everything that one would need.

"Bobby, we've returned from over yonder." Sam called as they entered the dark house. While it was the closest thing the brothers had to home- it wasn't the cleanest place. The place was covered wall to wall in dusty books. There was a gentle fire burning in the hearth and a few candles were about the room.

"Bobby?" Dean called. However, no sound returned. Dean stalked to Bobby's bedroom and glanced inside, seeing him asleep- or passed out- on his bed. Dean backed out, closing Bobby's door and turning to his brother. "Seems he's drunk."

Sam smiled, this was typical for the mid day. Bobby had difficulties sleeping at night, most of the time he slept at odd hours of the day or in the wee hours of the morning. "Should we wake him?"

Dean shook his head. "Anon. He hath earned his rest."

Sam nodded, taking a book and climbing into a chair. Not many people knew how to read or write, but Bobby had learned (from who knows who) and he had taught both Sam and Dean. Sam took full advantage of knowing how to read and would often curl up with a book when they had the time. Dean however, wasn't interested. He just wasn't the reader- more often he would spend his free time at the archery range or at the local tavern.

Yet it was too early to have a pint and he didn't feel as though he needed more practice at the moment. Instead he decided to step outside for a walk. This town had been his home for a few months now, the brothers were staying with Bobby. Dean liked having a type of base camp here- before when they lived with their father they just bounced around. They never stayed in one place for long, which made things hard. After all, all Dean had ever really wanted was a family and roof over his head. Neither of which was easy to maintain.

Family was wonderful but it made him absolutely miserable. Sometimes Sam was such a pain and Dean wanted to smack him upside the head. His little brother was so stubborn and always insisted upon being right. He hated it, Dean wished Sam would just take a step back every once and a while and listen to his older brother. Bobby claimed that Sam was just going through a rebellious period and that he'd move on but for now it was most frustrating.

Dean went into his room and stripped out of his robin hood get up. After all, he had no intentions of saving anyone else tonight. Perhaps he should go for a walk, stroll in the moon's beautiful beams. He supposed that would be nice, since he didn't feel like paying a visit to the local tavern or logging in anymore hours at the range.

"I shall venture for a walk. I will be back before the moon does crest in the sky." Dean called, slinging his bow and quiver. He reached for the door handle thinking Sam had nothing to say.

"Be careful." Sam answered, shifting in his seat so he could get better light from the candle he had lit. Dean felt tempted to ask 'when wasn't he careful' but he fought back the urge to be smart. Sam would merely get irritated and Dean really had no reason to do that to his brother. Besides, Sam might just throw a book at him and that would be quite painful. Books make good projectiles, Bobby had proved that on many occasions.

Dean closed the door behind him carefully. He didn't want to disturb his brother more then he had too. Dean didn't mind giving Sam space to breathe every once and a while. The kid needed it, he had pretty much been attached at the hip to his brother ever since their father passed away. So giving Sam space almost felt like telling Sam that he respected him.

The evening air was cool, it wasn't cold but it still could send some shivers down one's spine. Dean didn't have an issue with it really, he preferred cold to hot. For some reason it just felt like it was easier for him.

If you squinted you could still see the fading pinks and purples of the sunset, creeping slowly behind the horizon line. The night was working on wrapping its dark blue blanket around the skies, leaving everything barely visible. But for now, Dean was still capable of seeing the hills of wheat and the orchards of apples. There were still a few people still working by torch light, though Dean guessed that they would be gone soon. Hurrying back to their families for the evening.

Dean perched himself atop a hill, looking down. Being up here was calming, the evening air was crisp and there was a wonderful silence. No one was around, no one had any expectations of Dean in this very moment. It was just him, watching as eve turned into night. In a way Dean found it to be one of the most calming times.

He didn't have to look after Sam, he wasn't being hunted. Dean didn't have to worry about anyone sympathizing with him and getting caught. He didn't worry about if he was doing the right thing, or if this was what his father wanted. No Bobby, no Sammy, no mom, no dad, no anyone.

Which was lonely. But in some cases it was better to be alone, no one could hurt him this way. A man needed that time to be himself, to be whoever he wanted to be.

The grass swayed beneath him, as the wind brushed lightly against exposed skin. It was serene in a way. He reached down, touching a blade of grass and thumbing it between his index finger and thumb. He plucked a handful of grass and held it in his hand, watching as the wind swept it up into the atmosphere. Away into the night, away to the stars.

"What beauty." Dean breathed to no one. He lay back in the grass watching the skies above, his eyes tracing constellations that were rising high with the moon. Aquila, Lyra, Hercules, Draco- Bobby had taught Dean a lot about constellations. As much as he never wanted to admit it, the stars were always fascinating to him. Something about being miles away and being able to have beautiful pictures and images to them.

When he looked up to the vast ocean of stars above him, he could see Hercules fighting off any nearby constellation. He could see him attempting to fight off the Draco the dragon. If he looked slightly more south he could see the swan Cygnus flying across the night. He smiled, his dad used to tell him stories about the creatures of the stars.

They may be myths, but they were in part true. No one had seen a dragon in years, but Dean was confident that they still existed somewhere. He didn't know why but he could feel it somewhere deep down in his gut that dragons, pegasus, phoenixs, and all those other beautiful monsters were still out there somewhere.

"By the beauty of Venus, this pup is as clean as a maiden from the mist. What doust thou think? Perhaps he be a noble worth snagging." A voice rang, Dean sat up slowly observing the scene below.

A group of ruffians had surrounded a young man clad in a tan cloak. It was hard to make out any distinctive features on the man because the cloak covered his face. He sat on a white horse which was draped in a tan cloth as well, who looked spooked by the strangers. The young man pulled on the reigns of the horse and soothed it softly, attempting to calm her. "I am afraid you mistake me, good sir. I know not of nobles, ye art sorely mistaken. Please, I implore you let me pass." he replied gruffly.

"Nay young traveler, I fear ye have been caught. Pray tell wherefore a pup such as thee is traversing the night alone? I implore ye, speak. For if ye shan't I should have to remove thy head for thy pretty little shoulders." one of them called, brandishing a cutlass.

Dean shifted, rolling to his feet, gripping his quiver and bow. He didn't have his usual get up (or Sam as back up for that matter) so he didn't have much to work with. Still he needed to help, or at least he thought he needed to help. Heaven knows he would probably regret it later. He ducked into the forest behind him, climbing a tree for better sights over the situation. Once he had situated himself on a high branch, he pulled out an arrow aiming it at one of the brutes.

"Fie and fie again." the young man cursed quietly, patting his horse on the mane.

"The mouth on this one." another called out loud.

Another one stepped closer, causing the horse to buck a little. The young man clung to the reins, trying to calm her. All of them drew their weapons. "Come hither, fledgling cur."

The horse drew back, Dean frowned. He didn't want to spook the horse, that could injure the young man on her back. He drew the bow back, aiming for the man farthest away from the horse. He let the arrow fly, landing in the guys arm. "Pucking toad-spotted vassal!" he cried out loud. The ring leader walked over pulling the guy to his feet.

The horse cried, reeling back causing the young man to fall on his back. The horse spooked and ran behind a bail of compost that was nearby. Falling off of a horse was never fun, but at least now Dean didn't have to worry about where he let his arrows fly. Well, except for the young man nearby. He was still an issue.

"Up. Now." he commanded, tracing the trajectory of the arrow up to where Dean was sitting.

"Fie." Dean cursed barely above a whisper. He reached up, climbing farther up into the trees. He was looking for a spot where the leaves hadn't even begun to fall, a thick brush where he would be able to hide. He pulled another arrow back aiming carefully. The first shot had been a warning shot, this one wouldn't be.

He let another arrow fly and after one full on head shot the bandits spooked and ran. That left the young man in the tan cloak laying on the ground. Dean could leave him, but it wouldn't do the young one much good if another band of robbers or misfits came by while he was still out. He sighed realizing that it was probably best if he stuck around until he woke up.

Much to his dismay.

Dean shifted in the tree's, watching for a moment. He had high hopes that the guy would just wake up. But after a few moments of the guy laying stationary Dean's hopes faded away. Then he hopped down from the tree's branches carefully. He sure as hell didn't want to injure himself. If he hurt himself then he wouldn't be capable of doing his job and he needed to do his job. So he made sure that he wouldn't be hurt climbing down. Once he was down and out of the trees he made his way over to fallen man. He approached with caution, looking worried.

The man laid still, unmoving. Dean crouched in front of him, placing a hand in front his mouth. He waited to see if he would breathe. Though in hindsight he could have probably just sat back and watched to see if his chest moved. He was still breathing so that was good, probably just unconscious. Out in dream land, in some other world.

Dean pulled the hood back carefully, he was greeted with sharp features and a full head of tousled dark brown hair. A sleeping angel, the bandits were right in some ways. He was way to clean to be a peasant. In fact, Dean hadn't seen a person so clean in a long time. Unless they came fresh out of the river. He did however have some shadow on his face, Dean hauled him up and over to the grass so that he wouldn't be in the way of any passing carriages.

Next, he walked behind the compost pile and took the horse by the reins leading him back over to his owner. She spooked at first, drawing back but after a little soothing she relaxed some. He adjusted the tan cloth that was thrown over the horse, however his adjustment only caused the cloak to fall to the other side.

He walked around to the other side, grabbing the blanket that was drenched over the horses wings-

Wings?

Wait-

Dean did a double take, pulling the cloak from the horse completely. The horse turned in a circle, her wings stretching out and flapping a few times. When she flapped her wings it created a soft breeze that blew Dean's hair back a little. She trotted in a circle once or twice, before having her wings reel back in to the sides of her body. Dean watched looking absolutely confused, "A pegasus huh?"

Dean looked over to the fallen young man. "Ye must be someone of import. It hath been a long time since anyone around here hath seen a pegasus..." he said quietly.

Dean scooped down, grabbing the tan blanket and covering the horse. He wasn't sure but he guessed that the man wouldn't want her being exposed to the open. Not many people saw a pegasus within their life time. Having her wings out there, that would be a good reason for bandits to try and take her away.

There were relatively few left alive and most of them were owned by nobles who never even flew. Apparently, flying a pegasus was near impossible- they could be quite rough and wild. Unpredictable, Dean silently wondered if the man was able to fly her. Ride her yes, but fly her? That was a whole different story.

Few flocks of them that traversed the skies now a days. If he was able to fly her, he probably knew where a lot more were. If people found out about that, he'd be in deep. People would hold him and force him to teach them how to fly. They would round up the horses and force them to breed until they could repopulate the species and use them as war horses.

Yet, from what his father told him, pegasus were gentle creatures by nature. They weren't meant to be warriors or to be rode into battle. They were spirited creatures who needed free will and choice to be happy. They needed to be able to adventure where ever the wind would take them. The idea of capturing them and forcing them to be rode for battle made a bubble of rage and disgust build in Dean's gut. He made a mental note not to let anyone see this beautiful creature.

Then Dean relaxed and sat, she followed suit. Horses were empathetic creatures by nature. She saw that he didn't want to hurt her and so she was content to sit down next to him. Dean extended his arm, hesitating a moment then he caressed her mane softly. The horse laid her head down, chewing at some grass near her owners head. "Hungry?" Dean asked, a small smile dancing at his lips. She was cute, for a horse.

Dean leaned back on the horse's side and she didn't seem to mind. She just kept bitting at the grass above her master's head. Dean smiled, stroking her mane so that she stayed subdued. The man shot up looking around, then he palmed his features. He was struggling to adjust to the darkness, he reached back and scratched his head. He must have hurt himself when he fell off the horse.

"Art thou alright?" Dean asked lazily.

The man looked over, obvious confusion in his features. At least, from what Dean could make out in this darkness. Though it was quite difficult with the sun now completely behind the horizon. In fact it was almost impossible to see one's hand in front of their face. "Aye..." he said weakly. "Who wishes to know?"

"No one worth thy time, of that I can assure thee." Dean replied, rising to his feet. "By your leave, I shall make my exit."

"Stay. Pray pardon me, might I ask the name of my savior?" he asked, jumping to his feet also and reaching for Dean's arm. Luckily for Dean it was difficult for the man to make out any features on him, the light was now gone. The man's voice was level and deadpan but something about it lacked an understanding of how things worked.

People weren't supposed to thank him when he helped them, they were supposed to keep going about their business. No one was ever bothered to ask him what his name was before so why should this man be any different? Just the fact that he wanted to thank him made his blood boil a little.

Still Dean smiled a little, forgetting that he couldn't be seen anyway. He wanted nothing to do with the guy. "Nay, I know not of the name of thine savior. I am but a meager peasant who hath found thy lordship stranded in the road. I feared thee may be in danger if a wagon nearby decided to make their rounds. I only moved thou in case of such an event."

"You were not the archer who saved me?" he asked still following closely behind Dean. He felt a stabbing pressure behind his eyes, he was irritated. He felt like this guy was poking at his identity with a stick when all Dean wanted was to be left alone.

No one could know the truth.

"Nay. I know not who saved you. Though the one they call 'Robin hood' lives near. Perhaps it was him." Dean lied skillfully.

"I see..." he said quietly, walking back to his horse. "Pray tell dost ye know of an inn within reach?"

"There is one if thou should follow this very road yonder." Dean called over his shoulder. He was glad to know that he was ditching the guy, he seemed kind of clueless. Maybe it was a noble thing. However he spoke too soon, within moments the young man was along side him sitting on his horse.

"Dost ye live in the village?" he asked.

"Aye." Dean answered feeling a bit exhausted along with his irritation. The guy seemed to have a tough time picking up that Dean really didn't want anything to do with him.

"Dost ye-"

"I fear thee mistake me. I want nothing to do with an artless noble; I'll have no more of your insufferable ignorance. Go to! I pray thee find your destination well. You grow old." Dean snapped, increasing his speed. He had no business with clueless nobles who had nothing better to do with their time.

"Stay!" he called, having his horse quicken to a gallop so he might catch up. "I apologize if hath offended you. I fear my people skills are not as sharp as most."

"Dost logic escape thee? I hath no more time to play games with thee! You tottering slow-brained fellow. Go to, before I should loose what little calm I hath left." Dean snapped.

"Wherefore? What hath I done?" he asked slowly. Dean silently regretted helping this man who didn't seem to understand that Dean had no interest in speaking to him.

He branched off the road, as he began to cross the moors towards Bobby's house. Dean hoped that since he was no longer heading to the village the man would leave him alone. It wasn't as if he hated the man, there was just something about him that made him irritating. Something that Dean couldn't quite put his finger on- perhaps it was his ignorance. This guy didn't seem to have any idea how the real world worked, Dean could tell just by the way that he spoke.

The young man seemed like someone who was going to be killed early, in fact it may be some kind of miracle he hadn't been killed already. He was glad to be rid of him, however, just as before he had thought too soon.

He heard the sound of galloping footsteps behind him, Dean started to turn around to look. Although it was rather useless since it was so dark that he couldn't really see what the guy was doing anyway. Before he could register what was going on, he was swept up onto the back of the horse which was rising off the ground.

Dean was stuck in between the rider and the horses head. He was facing the horse's head, as it rose higher into the sky. The fact that he was flying filled him with an indescribable anxiety. He had absolutely no control over what this horse was going to do, he could fall and that would be the end of him. Dean reached forward, gripping the horses mane, his knuckles turning white. "Are you ill in the head?!" he screeched.

"You should stop being so rude to strangers." he replied causally.

"Prithee, put me down." Dean whimpered, trying not to look down at the ground below.

The young man flew down until they were only a few feet above the ground. They glided across the moors, then they touched down just outside of Bobby's house. "Castiel." he said aloud.

"What?" Dean asked.

"My name is Castiel." he repeated, allowing Dean to climb off his horse.

"D-d-dean..." he replied rattled.

"Dean!" a voice rang, it was Sam. He came sprinting out of the house, "Where hath you... been...?"

Sam stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Castiel sitting on a pegasus with extended wings. Dean turned slowly, looking at Sam who gave him a worried gaze. Castiel shifted, hopping off of the horse and pulling the tan cloth over the horse's wings again. "Hello." Castiel said softly.

"Who?" Sam asked.

"I'll explain in a moment." Dean replied, "Go inside."

Castiel waited until Sam was inside. "Now, where is the inn again?"

* * *

_Dah duh! So fan fiction was kind of a butt with this story. It accidentally deleted this story, so I only had the first two pages (which I had saved in my documents). I was mad. Very mad. So the past few days I've been passing back and forth between writing this and writing the next chapter for 'Silhouette'._

_So I'm gonna start off by saying that writing insults in Elizabethan speak is so much fun. I mean, oh my god. It is just so much fun. Chapters for this story will probably come out slower due to the dialogue though. Elizabethan speak is hard to write since no one really talks like that anymore. One thing that is important to note is the differences between the way that Castiel talks and the way Dean talks. Dean talks informally, meaning that he talks as if he is insulting someone, or talking to someone who is close. While Castiel's uses formal terms meaning that he always talks as if he is speaking to a superior._

_Just a little fun fact._

_Castiel, the mysterious nobleman and Dean the infamous Robin hood. _

_So let me know what you think in the reviews! _

_**Rate, Review, Favorite! It means so much! **_


	2. Spark

Chapter 2: Spark

"What were you _thinking_?!" Sam shouted, folding his arms across his chest. He wasn't pleased that his brother went off and helped someone without him and without his usual get up. "What if someone had recognized you?!"

The elder Winchester shrugged his shoulder's lightly. "S'what the trees are for. I fail to understand the issue. I wished to help someone who was in much distress. Though he was rather irritating, I'd rather save him with risk then do nothing."

Sam heaved a sigh, "There was still a danger-"

"There is always a danger." he leveled, stalking over to where Bobby hid his ale. Truth was, it wasn't really a hiding place, more of storage. He fixed himself a drink, then reclined in a chair nearby. "Hazards come with the job Sammy."

"Aye. But-"

"But nothing." Dean interpreted. The younger brother stalked across the room, plopping down in the chair next to his brother. Dean extended a glass of ale, hoping that it would be a type of olive branch. He really wasn't in the mood to argue, not after being lifted fifty feet into the air by a man on his horse. Sam took the glass, taking a sip. Dean gulped his.

"What was he like?" Sam asked.

"The noble?" Dean questioned. Sam nodded his head. "An idle-brained pain in ass. He hath no understanding of people. I mean _absolutely _none. No tolerance for rudeness or jokes either."

"Yikes." Sam answered, taking another sip of the drink. "So, now this noble knows where we live. We should be worried, should we not?"

"Nay." Dean replied finishing his drink. He rose to his feet, crossing the room and lighting another candle. Then he paced to the window, gazing outside. "He doth not appear to be the type of person to do harm to another. While he may not understand others, he doth appear to be rather warm."

"Warm?"

Dean turned back, frowning slightly. He heaved a small sigh, his shoulders going slack. "Aye. Warm." Sam raised an eyebrow in question. Dean rolled his eyes a little, his brother was always reading too far into his actions. "He's a gentle soul, I got a feel for him. Alright?"

"Are ye the best judge of character?" Sam asked slowly.

"Shuddap." Dean snapped. "I be a great judge of character. Anyway, I doth not think that he hath any intentions of doing harm. He seemed to be looking for something or someone. Maybe even running, not really sure."

"Who's running from what?" Bobby asked, entering the room. He stretched, giving a small yawn.

Dean cracked a wicked grin, "Look who's awake."

"Shuddap." Bobby retorted in the same tone that Dean had used a few moments ago. It was clear the boys had learned a lot from their surrogate father. The elder Winchester walked over to the cabinet and poured Bobby a drink. He handed the drink to Bobby who gave a silent thanks, before stalking over to the window. His eyes fixed on the hamlet in the distance. "So who be running?" he repeated without looking at his boys.

"A noble Dean saved." Sam answered quickly. He made sure to give his brother a glare because he still wasn't okay with Dean doing stupid things on his own. Dean stuck out his tongue in response, then he reached up and bit his thumb. Sam frowned, putting his right arm out while clenching his fist closed and placed his left hand on his biceps.

Bobby turned around and both boys immediately ceased their shenanigans. Bobby glared, sensing that the boys were mocking each other. Dean and Sam both laughed a little and Bobby rolled his eyes. "This noble got a name?"

"Castiel." Dean replied. Bobby's look was quizzical- apparently he had never heard of a Castiel. Though that wasn't really that surprising, its not like they really kept up with all of the nobles. There really wasn't much of a reason too. Commoners would always be commoners in the eyes of the rich, Bobby and the Winchesters were no exception.

"That it?" Bobby questioned. Dean nodded, he didn't know what Castiel's full name was. In fact, he didn't know if Castiel was his real name. Though, Dean didn't think it was any kind of lie- he had nothing to gain from lying. Bobby stroked his beard, mulling something over in his head.

A soft swishing sound was heard, Dean looked over to see that his brother was swishing the remainder of the ale that was left in his glass around. It was something Sam did when he was thinking, he played with whatever objects were nearby. Dean frowned, it was annoying but Sam didn't notice. Or on the off chance that he did notice, he was ignoring him. A silence fell over the room as each pondered something silently.

Dean leaned forward so his elbows were on his knees. What was a noble even doing out in a tiny town like this one? And why on earth would he be traveling alone, without any protection? It wasn't a smart move, the country side was littered with robbers and thieves. Dean wondered how the guy got anywhere without getting hurt.

After all, it was one thing to travel alone when you were well trained to fight. It was easy to get away, to defend yourself- as long as no one got the jump on you. That's part of the reason that Dean was so comfortable traveling alone or with Sam as his companion. Both boys were well trained to fight off a threat.

But Castiel was not that person. He appeared to be clueless, unaware, inattentive, and careless. In fact, Dean couldn't help but feel a _tiny _bit guilty. Actually, not even a tiny bit, maybe instead a minuscule amount. Whatever guilt existed was erased the moment that Castiel started to speak. Once he opened his mouth, Dean wanted to strangle him. His ignorance of social customs was only cute for about ten seconds before it started being mind numbingly irritating.

"Dean."

The young man's head jerked upwards, he didn't realize he was spacing out. In fact, he didn't even know if Bobby and Sam had been talking just now. His jaw was slightly slack, as his eyes darted back and forth between his companions. "Wha-?"

"Do ye ever pay heed?" Sam asked in his signature patronizing voice. Half asking the question to Dean and half to Bobby. Bobby cracked a smirk.

"Doth he ever?" Bobby scoffed with a laugh. Dean frowned, closing his mouth and pretending to be insulted. Bobby and Sam gave an in unison 'aw'. To which Dean bit his thumb in their direction, which caused Bobby to smack him upside the head. He didn't appreciate disrespect.

"What were thou speaking of?" Dean snapped, trying to change the subject. He hated when Sam and Bobby ganged up on him- though to be fair half the time it was Dean and Bobby who were ganging up on Sam. His brother probably felt the same way, that's why they took any chance they could to harass one another.

"We were wondering, if we should go into town tonight." Sam pondered out loud. Dean shrugged not really having an opinion on the matter.

"Wherefore? Any wrongs that must be righted?" Dean questioned.

"Nay, but, I saw some rough looking thugs headed into town. We should be watching them just in case." Bobby replied, "I would suggest you and Sam go in and keep an eye on things. If thou wishes for me to go, I shall. Though I think ye two should be enough."

"Aye." Dean nodded, heading out of the room for his usual attire. Sam followed suit, going into his room and changing as well. The two came out, looking identical except for the height and weight difference. Sam pulled his hair back, into a small ponytail and pulled his hood up. Dean already had the hood up.

Dean slug his quiver and bow over his shoulder and Sam pocketed his sword. The one thing that was different about the brothers was what they were skilled in. Dean was skilled in bow hunting, one of the best shots around. His father had taught him how and from a very young age, Dean had been practicing with a bow and arrow.

Yet Sam wasn't that interested in bow hunting. It just wasn't his song and dance, he was never a good shot. Whenever he held a bow and started to aim, his hands started to shake and nerves set in. For some reason he was just really afraid of letting an arrow fly if it wasn't going to hit something. His father was incredibly disappointed that Sam couldn't learn bow hunting. The farther away from the enemy the safer they were.

John didn't like the boys getting up close and personal. Still, Sam couldn't help it, ranged weapons just weren't his cup of tea. So sometimes, Robin Hood would get up close and personal with his enemies and sometimes he would just hang back and shoot. No one seemed to have a problem with that, they didn't even really notice that Robin Hood was two different people.

On nights like this one, both of the boys would act as Robin Hood. Both Dean and Sam would go into town dressed up and ready to go. Then they would split up, looking for people to save. Woman who were in trouble, children, weak men. Really anyone who was on the receiving end of some kind of injustice.

"Ready?" Dean asked, looking at his brother.

"Ready." Sam confirmed.

The two headed down the stairs, Sam jumped past the last few steps. Dean gave a small smile at his brother's eager attitude. You couldn't fake stuff like that, Dean found it amusing. Once the two were all dressed up and ready to go they headed for the door. Bobby stopped them though, before they could get completely gone.

"You two idjits, be careful. Dean, watch thy brother. Sam, watch Dean. Keep each other safe." Bobby reached over and grabbed Sam's shoulder. Sam gave a smile from under his hood and Dean nodded. "Hey. Answer me boys."

"Yes sir." Dean and Sam both replied. Bobby smiled, giving Sam's shoulder a satisfying smack. They didn't usually call Bobby sir, but in every once and a while they did. Dean smiled, holding the door open for his brother. Sam exited, then Dean followed closely behind.

The brothers headed out back, Dean reached over touching his horses mane. He loved his horse dearly and they would need both horses to get there quickly. She recoiled at his touch but he soothed her quietly and she relaxed. She was always kind of a nervous horse, ever since he got her. He climbed onto her back, steadying himself.

She moved in a little fit and Dean touched the side of her neck, shushing her. Sam climbed onto his horse, he was a lot more calm. But Dean's horse was reliable, always got him where he needed to go and he loved his baby. Sam looked up at his brother, giving a small nod signifying he was ready to go. It was kind of amazing how they no longer needed to even speak to each other to know what to do.

Years of being together would do that to you. They worked so well together, vocal communication just wasn't needed any longer. The two could look at each other and they would just know what kind of moves to make. They could know, what to do and why. Dean smiled at his brother from under the his hood, then took off toward the village.

The night air was crisp as it whipped against his features. There was a dim glow from the town, the light of a small candle in the dark. If Dean squinted he could see the town in the distance as they rode. The rooftops looked so far away, as they rode. Dean watched as the view of the town grew closer and closer.

Sam took his hood down as he rode, looking over the fields. No one was out anymore, after all it was late. Dean pulled his hood down too, they rode side by side. However, Dean egged on his horse quietly they hadn't _declared _a race. However, Dean wanted to be the first one to get there. Even if no race was declared, he still wanted to win. He wanted to prove to his brother that his baby was way faster. Sam didn't seem to catch on though, which allowed him to take the lead quietly.

The night was young, Dean gazed up at the stars above him. Taking note of the constellations, he smiled. They rode forward, towards the village. "Wonderful eve!" Sam called, Dean gave him an smile of acknowledgment.

Once they were there Sam and Dean tied their horses to posts by the inn, letting them drink and fraternize with other horses. Sam shifted on his feet, "Ye shall take the north side and I shall take the south?"

"Aye. Sounds fair." Dean answered. He walked down the alley by the inn, looking around for a way to get on the roof tops. It was so much easier for Dean to work when he was high up. He liked being at a high vantage point so he could see everything that was going on. It also helped him to aim and focus. It was hard to shoot and run at the same time, if he was up high then they had to climb up giving Dean time to shoot.

Dean saw a stack of wooden crates, he smiled. That was the ticket, he pulled himself up on top of the first crate. The wood splintered into his arm, Dean swore silently. He pulled himself up, then onto the next and the next. He reached up onto the roof next to the inn, "Alright." he spoke silently. He was half way there, now he had to find someone who he could help.

He walked the rooftops looking for someone who he could help. Amazingly it wasn't that hard to find someone who needed help. Dean hopped from roof to roof, he was silent and stealthy. He wasn't afraid of falling off, he was like a cat. He always landed on his feet.

"Me thinks you hath the wrong person. No one need be harmed. Prithee, let me go." a voice said softly. Dean climbed over the rooftop, glancing down to survey the scene.

"Again?" he muttered.

The voice belonged to none other then the noble from before. Castiel. Dean frowned, did this guy always get in trouble? He had his back to the wall and was surrounded by a group of really unpleasant guys. The two for one special today. Dean sighed, readying his bow. He wondered silently if this was going to become a reoccurring thing between them.

Though Castiel didn't know that it was Dean who was saving his ass for the second time today.

"'Fraid not young pup. Tell me, what gold doth thee have? Hand it over and we may let ye go." the ring leader replied. "What doth that whistle do? Looks valuable." he asked, pointing at a relic that Cas was clutching over his heart. Cas turned his shoulders away from the enemy holding the object closely.

Dean drew an arrow, readying it for if the bandits stepped any closer to the tan cloaked noble. He readied himself, knowing that this time wouldn't be like the last. Dean was close enough that he would see the lights go out in the man's eyes. He would see the life leave his body if he shot from this close of a range. To be totally honest, Dean hated killing it made him feel guilty and it gave him nightmares. His father always said that it was us or them, both of the Winchesters hated that about their job. Their father had raised them on the ideal that death was natural and to kill one person to save another was okay. But honestly, Dean felt like when he himself died he was doomed to damnation. God would never forgive him for the lives he had stolen.

If there was even a god. Though that was a debate for another time. Castiel shifted uncomfortably as the thugs laughed amongst themselves. That's when he sprinted for an opening, the bandits didn't seem to see it coming. Which gave Cas a little extra time since they were slow to retaliate. He took off in one direction, but the thieves regained themselves quick enough that they weren't far behind.

"Fie!" Dean cursed quietly. Now he had two choices, shoot and probably miss or run and wait until they catch Castiel. But if they catch him they won't be pleased, still it was a matter of if Dean was a quicker draw. He decided not to risk taking the shot from here, he sprinted after them. Climbing over the roofs, with ease. It was official, he had been doing this far too long.

He watched Castiel's route carefully trying to predict where the noble would turn next. Dean found that it wasn't too hard to predict him after watching him take the first few turns. So Dean took a short cut to get in front of Castiel, which is when he noticed the group had split up. They were going to trap Castiel so he had no where to run.

Dean leaned over the edge of the roof in the middle, where he approximated Castiel would realize he had no where to run. "Take this." he commanded throwing a rope over the side of the roof. Castiel scrambled over, grabbing the rope and holding on for dear life. Once Dean was positive that he had a good grip on the rope, Dean began to pull. The thugs sprinted towards them, one of them lunged and grabbed onto Cas' boots.

Cas yelped in pain and Dean nearly dropped the rope. Castiel then kicked the man in the face, forcing him to let go. Dean extended an arm, gripping tightly on Castiel's forearm. "I give thanks." he said as Dean pulled him up onto the roof.

"We are not out of the woods, in fact I fear we aren't even close." Dean replied, being careful as to where he turned his head. He didn't want Castiel to see underneath the hood. Then he pulled an arrow pointing it at the closest bandit. These boys weren't stupid, they made a break for it as soon as Dean pulled out the arrow. "Fie!"

He let an arrow fly, hoping to take at least one of them out. His arrow landed in the guys shoulder which only caused him to stumble. Dean let them get away, though he wished he hadn't. Now they could hurt someone else. He sighed, thinking about how angry his father would be if he was still alive. John Winchester _hated _when his prey got away. He hated it ten times more when Dean was the reason that his prey got away. On the upside, at least he had saved one pain in the ass noble.

Speaking of, Dean turned away starting to run. But Castiel reached out to him, grabbing his shoulder and holding on tightly. "Stay." he begged, his grip like iron. Castiel was stronger then Dean first gave him credit for, Dean wasn't able to escape for his claws.

The way he saw it he really had a couple of options here; turn towards him and reveal himself, refuse to speak or look at Castiel and hope that he can get away, or ask to be let go of and hope that Castiel didn't recognize his voice from earlier. Dean chose the middle route or refusing to look or speak to the noble. He squirmed for a little while but soon realized it was futile and gave up. It appeared the two were at a stalemate, neither wanted yield.

Dean felt his cheeks flush a little, he wasn't sure if it was from the chase or if it was from the embarrassment of being held still. His father would never be so careless, his father was never caught. Yet here he was being held by a pesky noble that wouldn't let go. The good news was that Castiel wasn't tugging on him and pulling him closer. Or maybe forcing him to turn around.

It was the noble who broke the silence, "Pray tell, wherefore do you turn away?" he asked in a quiet but dead voice. Dean tugged on his arm and his shoulder, Castiel's arm fell away but Dean didn't run. He knew that if he tried to Castiel would just grab him again. Dean glanced back in his peripherals but all he saw was the inside of his hood. After a long moment of silence, Castiel spoke again in a lower voice. "Prithee..."

His father would have never said anything, so Dean didn't either. But strangely, he wanted too. Dean wanted to talk to him, if anything else to get him to go away. Dean just wanted to be alone with failure. This was a failure, his father would think so. He sighed quietly, he heard soft footsteps Castiel paced around to the front of Dean. Immediately Dean turned away.

"I believe you hath saved my life, twice now. Pray tell, what is thy name?" Castiel asked one more time, his voice even lower. Dean looked down at his feet, feeling the adrenaline leaving his body slowly. He was coming down off the chase, now instead of a tingling feeling of adrenaline he just had a deeply rooted feeling to run. Dean bit down on his lip, making sure to silence himself.

Dean could feel Castiel's gaze hot on his back. It was incredibly uncomfortable, not being able to turn and reciprocate a look. Cas stepped forward, penetrating Dean's space. He started to step away but then Cas reached forward and grabbed the back of Dean's hood. Instinctively, the elder Winchester stopped- holding still and praying the hood wouldn't fall down. A moment of stillness flooded over both of the boys.

"Don't..." Dean said quietly. Though he wasn't really sure what he was referring too. Don't pull down the hood, don't talk, don't step in front of him, don't come any closer. Or maybe it referred to himself; don't run, don't stay, don't let him see who you are. Whatever the vague message meant it wasn't getting through to either of the boys.

He watched in horror as Castiel's hands penetrated his peripheral vision. Yet, Dean didn't move he didn't yield or run away. He stood tall, like a statue in severe weather. Cas took the sides of Dean's hood from behind and slowly pulled.

Dean closed his eyes as the hood fell away, he heard Cas exhale shakily behind him. Dean was submitting to his fate, he knew that he'd been caught. He knew that there was no hope for him escaping. This was the reason why he never wanted to be close to the people he saved or the people that he fought back. They couldn't help themselves, they _had _to know who was under the hood.

"Dean?" Castiel asked quietly. While his voice was usually quiet and dead, this time he was a little nervous. The jig was up, Dean turned slowly his face downcast. When he glanced up for a just a moment all he saw were quiet blue eyes.

"Aye..." Dean said quietly. Pulling his hood back up over his head.

"You...?" Castiel asked again. Dean nodded patiently. "...I thank thee..."

Dean smiled a little under the hood. Of all the things that Castiel could have said, he decided to thank him. Even if he was a pesky, clueless noble, at least he was able to give thanks and to give credit where credit was due. For that, Dean was glad he rarely got thanks for anything that he did. He had to admit it felt good for someone to acknowledge that he was doing good work.

"I welcome thee." Dean replied in a hushed tone. He turned away, sliding down the roof to a more flattened surface. That also made it so that he was farther away from street. He hoped that this would help so other people couldn't see him. Castiel followed behind Dean apparently thanking him wasn't Cas' only intention. Dean slumped against the roof top, from here he would be invisible to the streets below. "What?"

Castiel sat down next to him, but his eyes were fixed on the stars above. Dean decided to look up to, finding a warrior in the stars. In his mind's eye he could see a warrior dressed in white drawing back a bow and pointing it at a dragon. The dragon was roaring loudly, but the warrior was unyielding. "It must be fate." Castiel mused out loud. The elder Winchester really wasn't sure what to to say to that. "It could be nothing else."

"Wherefore?" Dean asked, he was confused but his eyes were fixed on the constellations above. Castiel gave a small chuckle under his breath.

"Thou hath already saved me, twice. I must be honest, I hath never been saved so many times by the same person. In fact, I doubt I hath ever even gotten in this much trouble consecutively." Castiel replied with thought. "The outside world is rather new to me-"

"You think?" Dean questioned sarcastically.

"Aye." Cas responded immediately, though his voice was still pretty dead. He couldn't figure out how a person could sound dead and clueless at the same time. Dean sighed, he didn't get the point. Then he rolled his eyes impatiently, Cas blinked a few times."Oh, sarcasm." Dean nodded, giving a smile. Castiel's cheeks flushed pink, he felt stupid and it was pretty clear on his face.

The two of them gazed over the town, "It's beautiful is it not?"

"What?" Cas replied.

"The town, the night. All of it." Dean decided.

"Aye. True..." Castiel agreed. "So will I see you again? Or shall you disappear from my life now that I know thy secret?"

"What?" Dean replied surprised. He wasn't really used to a guy suggesting that he wanted to see him again. "I... I guess..." Castiel gave a small smile, which Dean reciprocated. "I must go."

"Wherefore?"

"I hath more people to save. Believe it or not there are more people who get into trouble besides thou." Dean answered with a little laugh. Dean rose to his feet, Cas followed suit, though he was a bit shaky. For some reason he was nervous being on a roof, which made no sense to Dean since he was fine on a flying horse. It was strange, it was like he didn't trust himself not to fall.

Dean gripped Castiel's upper arm steadying the noble with relative ease. Dean had no intention of getting off the roof, but he helped Cas over to some crates where he could climb down. While Cas lowered himself down Dean was sure to stay close as support. He really didn't think that Cas would have a problem but he wasn't sure.

"Stay out of trouble." Dean commanded. "I may not be around to save you next time."

"I have a feeling you will." Castiel replied, standing on the last crate. He stopped to gaze at Dean with that cold expectant stare. From beneath Dean's hood he gave an irritated stare. He didn't always want to have to be around to catch Castiel when he fell. To be fair, he hoped that by now Cas would do the same for him. Though he didn't know.

"No vows shall be made." Dean retorted.

"Fair."

"Now go." Dean said giving a small smile, "Before I should change my mind."

What could he say? As clueless as he might be and even as annoying as his attitude might be, Dean kind of liked the guy. There was something redeeming about his cluelessness. But only a little bit. Castiel nodded slowly, before hopping down and heading for the inn. Dean watched him all the way there just to be sure that he got there. The last thing he needed was Castiel getting into trouble again.

He was becoming a regular damsel in distress.

Still, he was at heart a good man. Dean could tell, he had a natural ability to read people. He was able to sense who people were just by talking to them. That's usually how he figured out if a mark was really someone he should take out. A lot of thieves were just kids who needed money for their sick families. Or maybe they just couldn't earn enough from their day to day activities. A lot of thieves had ulterior motives. In fact, Dean didn't think he had ever met a person who stole things just because.

Take him and Sam for example, they both stole to help other people. They took from those who abused their power and they gave to those who were in need. Or perhaps his father, who did it for those reasons but underneath that it was about revenge. Vengeance against those people who refused to help people in need.

The boys were raised into the life and they had no intentions of abandoning it. They couldn't leave the life even if they wanted too. It had a ways of sucking you back in to its gaping jaws. Plus, they would feel as if they were letting their father down if they didn't keep at it. In truth, Dean hated the life. He hated the job, but it was a part of who he was. There was no way that he could stop being a thief, that was like denying a whole part of him.

Dean found his way to the church, where he perched on the top of the tower. He could see the whole town, it was all lit up. Dim lights in the windows, warm like a candle. It was a little surprising to see the town so warm. It was pretty low temperature wise, so seeing the whole place glow in the night made him feel a little warmer.

It was strange, when he was up on that pegasus he was so nervous. The whole thing was so terrifying because he had no control over what happened. Yet, when he was up here like this- when he knew that he was safe, it was actually pretty calming. Dean breathed in the cold fall air, smelling the scent of the country, pines, grass, and a small hint of apples.

This was a nice place to sit and think. Dean perched silently, watching the people below. They were like tiny ants, scurrying off about their business. They all had somewhere to be, home. Dean frowned a little, he wondered what it was like to have a home. A place that he could come to every day and his mom would be there cooking while he, his dad, and Sam would get in from working in the fields.

To have a place where they could all be together every day. A place that was warm and comfortable, a place that he was loved. Not that he wasn't loved now, Bobby and Sammy did their best. But, what if he had what everyone else had? What if he was just a regular guy? Just like everyone else. Not that it really matter, he was never going to _be _everyone else.

He would always be Dean Winchester, the man who was Robin Hood when no one was looking. The older brother to Sam Winchester and son of John and Mary Winchester. The wise cracking, good looking, son of a bitch that he was. He would never be able to be anyone else.

But, when he was alone there was always time to wonder what it would be like as someone else. What it would be like to be just some other guy. Instead of some infamous criminal that was revered by some and hated by others. It was all just so taxing. Being a hero and villain at the same time.

Or even being someone like Castiel. Being someone who was born with everything instead of nothing. He wondered why Castiel left it behind for a country side like this. There was nothing here, nothing worth mentioning anyway. Though, Dean didn't really know anything about Cas for sure. He just wasn't sure what he really knew about the guy, besides the fact that he was a noble and he got into trouble on a regular basis apparently.

"Who art thou?" Dean asked a loud to no one. Then he paused a moment, "In fact, who am I?"

He gazed down at the village below. He took in another deep breath, country, pines, grass, a small hint of apples, and burning wood? Dean rose to his feet circling around the tower, looking for the source. Was something on fire? Dean circled around to the back of the tower, that's when he saw.

The inn was set ablaze.

* * *

_Curse me and my cliff hangers. I'm such a jerk. _

_So Cas, getting to be a regular thing eh? Thanks for the feedback thus far, I'm no pro in Elizabethan so I'm sorry if some of the lines come out a little stiff. I hope that I will settle into it better as time goes on. Anyway, I hope you guys like it and you guys can bare with me as I settle into it. I'm doing my best, Castiel has a little bit more of a modern and respectful tone so I always feel like he comes off a bit better. Never the less, I'm doing my best so I hope you like it.  
_

_I really do, cause I have a lot of fun writing it and I have a lot of fun planing it. It makes writers block for 'Silhouette' a lot easier. I like to work through a creativity block with more creativity so bouncing back and forth between this story and that one helps a little bit. In other news, my medication is making me ill and its awful...  
_

___**Rate, Review, Favorite! It means so much!**_


	3. The Chase

Chapter 3: The Chase

Dean was sprinting, his chest felt like it was going to explode. He had to keep going though, if he didn't he wouldn't be able to find out what all of this was about. He was no longer being careful, which in hindsight was a bad idea since it would be incredibly easy to fall. In fact it was probably a miracle that he didn't sprain his ankle (it would have been so easy if he had just stepped slightly differently or landed wrong). Dean didn't care though, there were two inns in town. The first was on the outskirts of the north east side, where Dean and Sam had tied up their horses. Also the one that was near where he had found the noble Castiel for the second time today. The second inn, was in the middle of the town. The one that was now ablaze and would soon come tumbling down in a pile of smoldering, black charcoal.

In fact, the inn was so close to the center of town that Dean didn't know if it fell under his side or Sam's side. That meant that there was a possibility that Sam was there. Though there was a possibility even if the inn wasn't on his side, this way it was way more likely.

This was the reason why Dean was sprinting, Sam could not be hurt. He just wasn't allowed to be. It was Dean's job, his responsibility to keep Sam safe. Ever since they were little and probably far into their twilight years, maybe even forever.

After all, if he didn't have someone to protect, then who was he?

To some the idea may have seemed silly, but to Dean it was anything but. It was his job, so much so that it had integrated its way into the very core of his personality. Like a spider that had woven a web so intricate it was now trapped, a part of Dean would always feel responsible for Sam. Not even just Sam, but people in general. If he didn't help people, if he didn't save them from the evils out there, then who would?

No one, that's who.

The cape he was wearing whipped loudly in his ears. He didn't have time to think about the positives. His brain was beelining to the negative, the dangerous, the _worst possible outcome_. Never mind that there were literally hundreds of places Sam could be _other _then the inn. Never mind that it was highly unlikely that Sam would be caught or trapped in the burning building. In Dean's mind, Sam was already hurt- or worse. There was distant whine- screaming and panic from the people nearby the inn. It was like a dagger cutting through the normal night time sounds. Seems the frogs and other forest animals had stopped to listen to the sound of disarray and chaos. Crimson light danced along the skyline, even though Dean was no where near the fire he could already feel the intense heat it was producing. He could see the warm air rising off into oblivion, escaping into some distant corner of the globe. Even threatening to take itself all the way up to heaven itself.

Dean increased his pace, though it hurt his chest a little. He wasn't out of shape, he was just pushing his limits. That's what limits were for, right? He hopped from building to building, only slowing temporarily when he was on unstable ground. His ankles throbbed from jumping carelessly over unstable and uneven roofing, but he didn't relent. Keeping his pace was crucial. He couldn't count how many times he had cursed under his breath since seeing the fire. He could swear like a sailor when he was under great stress.

In hindsight, it was silly to push himself this hard. When he got there he may not have the energy to help Sam if he was hurt. Right now he was running completely on adrenaline and anxiety. Which felt kind of like running on empty. It was both physically exhausting and yet he felt as though he had to press on since his nerves were killing him. He glided over the last rooftops, drawing so close to the fire he could see the embers dance nearby. Dean drew in a shaky breath, smelling the scent of burning pine. While his eyes darted like a cornered animal, searching for a body that might be Sam's.

The good news; Sam was nowhere in sight. The bad news; same as the good news. Where the hell was Sam?

Dean felt his heart drop back into his chest. There was still a tremendous amount of anxiety, but at least Sam wasn't dead right off. Or at least, _visibly _dead. One of the good things about always expecting the worst was Dean was rarely ever surprised. Bad things happened, but at least they weren't the absolute worst. So in a sense, he was finding a positive in a negative. Sam always mocked him about how, 'healthy that type of thinking was' but for Dean, it worked. So why change it?

Curious eyes surveyed the scene, watching as figures and silhouettes sprinted away from the fire. Amidst the chaos Dean noted a group of men on horseback. They were nor alarmed, nor surprised about the fire. It must have been their doing in the first place, Dean gritted his teeth. They were uniformed, "Filthy curs."

He reached behind, pulling an arrow out of his quiver. Usually he'd give a warning shot, but he didn't think these people deserved it. There could have been children inside. People who didn't see it coming until it was too late. These people deserved what they got. With that healthy perspective he aimed carefully, taking into consideration all of the different elements. Dean drew his arrow back, feeling hatred for the scum of the earth burning behind his retinas.

"Dean!" a voice snapped quietly, pulling him back into reality. He let the arrow go slack in his hand, turning his head to look.

"Sam!" Dean said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god, I was afraid you may hath been harmed. To see you safe is comforting. Don't scare me like that."

Sam gave a small amused smile, the corners of his mouth trying to restrain themselves from laughter. He was used to his brother's antics but this was just too good. Dean frowned. "I'm fine." he declared.

"I know, I just- shut up." Dean answered, irritated at his little brother's amusement. Sam would never quite understand what it was like for Dean. How Dean's first real memory of his father was him saying, 'look after Sam'. Those three words had been beaten into Dean's skull so hard that if he closed his eyes he could hear John's voice.

There was nothing else, self preservation came second to protecting Sam. Everything would always come _after _making sure that Sam was taken care of. If there was only enough food for one of them? The food went to Sam. If one of them had to sleep on the floor? Sam got the bed. If one of them was going to stick their neck out? Sam was going to be the safe one. Everything always came second to Sam. No exceptions, no hesitations.

"What art we looking at?" Sam asked, observing the men and the fiery building below.

"Them." Dean replied pointing at the people below. They were all huddled around laughing, a few of them were chasing the towns people nearby. The one in the middle, hopped off of his horse. He headed over to a large wooden crate and climbed on top. Then the man put his index finger and thumb in mouth, then he whistled loudly. The villagers whipped around looking at the source on the noise.

"Hear me!" the man shouted. "We mean ye no harm. At least we mean ye no harm, if thou wouldst cooperate with us. Should ye fail to comply like these maggots, we shall burn thy village to the ground."

"Because that's fair." Dean muttered with irritation, though the comment seemed like a hallow threat. If everyone was dead how would they help these people with whatever it was that they wanted?

"We come looking for someone, a man. We've been told he may be seeking refuge in thy village. It's our job to find him and bring him back to our lord, alive." the man pulled out a sheet of parchment with a drawing on it. Though from here, it was nearly impossible to see what had been scrawled on it. "James C Arthur Novak."

"That's a mouthful." Sam mused.

"Sounds like a noble." Dean replied, Sam gave a nod in agreement.

"Fail to comply and thy inn shan't be the only thing in ruins. We'll burn this whole bloody place down to find him. He's worth more to us then the lives of a few lowly peasants." the man smiled greedily. Dean frowned, scoffing quietly at the man's attitude.

"How are we doing this?" Sam asked quietly. "Usually its thy job to draw their attention, but in this case maybe I should-"

"No. I'll go." Dean insisted. Sam first, everything else comes second.

"But I could go. I could draw their attention while you shoot from up here. It's dangerous but it shall get the job done. You know I can do it." Sam reasoned.

"I know, but if anyone is jumping in the line of fire it's me." Dean replied. "Go home, get Bobby, get safe, maybe get out- I'll lead them out of town."

Sam heaved a sigh, Dean knew he was going to get an earful if he gave Sam time to argue. Sam was the type to protest when he thought something was too dangerous, which was most of the time. So he thrust himself off the rooftop onto the next one. Then the next, he threw a glance over his shoulder smiling. Sam shook his head and started to climb down. Good.

"Make sure my baby is safe!" he said over his shoulder. If Sam was going to get back to Bobby's he should take both horses and make sure both of them get food, water, or anything else they might need.

Dean positioned himself so that he was adjacent to the speaker and readied his bow. Then he stood up, which amazingly didn't draw their attention. Apparently they had a lot on their minds or they weren't the most observant crowd. "Hey-ho!" Dean shouted, letting an arrow whiz towards the speaker's head. He dove to the left and the arrow barely grazed him on the shoulder.

The archer could feel many pairs of eyes glue themselves to him as he stood tall. He wouldn't back down to these thugs. Dean did have a sense of pride in what he did, keeping people safe was worth while. It was something worth being proud of. Relief flooded the villagers features, they were happy to see him. Robin Hood their icon had come to save them. The speaker and his minions didn't have the same relieved eyes. "Don't just stand there! Get him!" he shouted, throwing his arms to the side.

Dean cracked a smile, dashing away as enemy archers let their arrows fly. He was greeted with the sounds of a chase; blood pumping, head rushing, heart beating, feet clambering, cape whooshing. They were familiar sounds and truth be told, Dean actually enjoyed the sounds of a chase. They felt a little like the home he never knew. They were so natural, he had been hearing them his whole life. Ever since he was a little boy, following his father around those sounds were what he heard most. In fact, he enjoyed the _feeling _of the chase. That someone was rushing after him, it made him feel invincible since they could never seem to catch him.

Dean was the wisp of smoke around the campfire. He was the beam of light, piercing through the dark, carving its own way. The legend, without being the man. A figure that ghosted its way through the bad and saving the good. The wind whipping against the riders in the night. People could extend their arms, they could hold out their hands but no one could catch him.

No one can tame the wind, its free and wild.

The world around him was blurred in the thrill of the chase. Everything around him looked fuzzy and unfocused. The world, if only for a moment, became one giant mass of colors. Like the brush strokes on a canvas far before the painting ever looks like anything. There were no minor details to pay attention too, because there were no minor details in a chase.

For a moment it was as if nothing else existed and Dean liked that feeling. Because for one moment he didn't have to worry about Sammy, dad, mom, anything really. There was just him, his heart pounding in his skull, the men lagging too far behind to ever catch up, and the wind rushing against his features.

Arrows whirled by him but apparently they weren't very good shots. If all of his energy wasn't being expended in this chase he would laugh. The rooftops rushed behind him as he went barreling over the edge onto the ground below. Legs flailing in the few instants of flight, or rather falling that Dean experienced. He caught himself carefully, rolling and then ending on all fours. He paused a moment to look over his shoulder.

A large chunk of the men were following him, good. Dean scrambled from all fours to two feet. He went sprinting down the dirt road, hearing the clomping of boots behind him. He hung a quick left down an alley, then a right. The adrenaline was overwhelming, he took another right down a different alley. The decisions of where to turn weren't really conscious choices, rather impulse decisions.

The loud clicking of hooves interrupted his perfect chase. They were getting smarter, chasing him on horseback. It made things more challenging but not in a good way. Dean didn't like when people used horses for chases, he couldn't outrun a horse.

Though, he could make it so the horses couldn't get to to him. Dean grabbed a hold of some wood crates hoisting himself up. They couldn't follow him on horseback if he was up on the roof. Well, they could but the wouldn't be able to grab him unless they came up and fought like men. Which to him was the perfect solution, though he had just come down from the rooftops it seemed he would be going up again.

But the men were closer then he thought, the one in the front of the pack grabbed his ankle as he climbed. "Get down!" he yelled. Dean let his leg go slack a moment, causing the man to also relax. Then he ripped his leg from the guy's grip, kicking him in the face for good measure. Then he pulled himself up onto the roof. Overkill? Maybe. Effective? Yes.

The chase would resume, but there was one problem. He was close to the edge of town and pretty soon he was going to run out of buildings. But Dean wasn't the type to plan out a trajectory so he kept barreling forward. Dean just figured it would be one of those he would deal with when he got there. A 'cross that bridge when we get there' type of deal. With horseback riders following below and men on foot following him over the roof tops he was going to have to think of a plan eventually. On the up side of things, these men weren't exactly skilled in climbing over treacherous roofs so they were slower. But some of them were adjusting pretty quickly. No cause for alarm though, Dean still had the upper hand.

Until he ran out of roof of course.

Which happened faster then he expected. Or maybe it just _seemed _faster because he was enjoying the chase so much. His eyes darted around looking for an out. He had maybe a minute before the guys on foot caught up, but the people on horseback already had the house surrounded. The only way out was back the way he came which meant running into the guys he was trying to avoid.

He heaved a heavy sigh, sprinting had wore him out considerably. Dean glanced around, when a white horse with a tan cloaked rider flew to his side. "Cas! Man am I glad to see you." he said gratefully.

"Get on." Castiel instructed, holding out a hand. Dean considered just letting the thugs take him. He'd really rather not get back on that flying monstrosity. He was really hoping that there was another way out. When Castiel saw Dean's hesitation he reached forward grabbing Dean's arm and pulling him halfway on.

In Castiel's haste, he pulled Dean on backward. The two sat back to back, which made Dean want to throw up. There was nothing to hold on, he just had to trust that the horse wouldn't screw him over. "You shouldst know, this is a pretty piss poor rescue!" Dean yelled over the wind.

He couldn't see Castiel's face, but he guessed that Cas frowned. Though, it was only a guess. Dean fought back the urge to vomit as he stared at the ground. They always say, 'don't look down' but Dean found it impossible to look anywhere else. Looking up made him feel dizzy, like he couldn't keep his balance. He couldn't turn around and stare at Castiel's back without risking falling off. Looking down made him feel sick. Either way, it sucked.

Still he decided to make the most of it, Dean unsheathed an arrow pointing it at the men below. Since the horse wasn't actually galloping on anything but air it was actually pretty easy to aim. He let the first arrow fly, which missed his mark by a few inches. It still hit the guy though, so he'd take it. Still the farther away they got, the harder it was to hit anything. "So what?" Dean yelled. "Just show up and save me?"

"That's what you wouldst done." Castiel replied with his usual deadpan voice, though there was a little strain to it since he had to shout over the wind.

"Right..." Dean answered, feeling woozy.

"Whoa." Cas said calmly, reaching back and grabbing one of Dean's wrists. Apparently, Cas could hear Dean's wooziness in his voice. Dean felt himself flush, then immediately felt like an idiot. It was embarrassing that he felt so scared, Cas had to hold him steady. He gave a discouraged sigh. No one should ever have to _hold _Dean Winchester steady. It was quite the let down from feeling like he was totally invincible to feeling like he was going to die. At least Cas couldn't see him looking so flustered. Dean looked down, then smacked his free hand over his eyes. "If it helps, I used to be afraid to fly."

"Nope." Dean replied, pressing his hand against his eyes.

Castiel flew lower, now they were only a few feet above the ground. Dean could feel them go down, it caused his gut to lurch. But, he let Dean's wrist go slack in his hand. "Were close to the ground. You can open thy eyes."

Dean frowned, how did he even know that Dean had his eyes closed? It was probably just a guess but still, Dean didn't like that Cas knew. He didn't like being weak. "My eyes weren't closed." he snapped.

"Denial is not a pretty color on you, Dean." Castiel joked. Though his tone of voice betrayed him, it sounded like he was chastising him rather then joking around. So Dean jerked himself halfway around and punched Cas in the arm.

_Did this guy even really know how to tell a joke? _Dean wondered silently.

The horse galloped a few strides before finally touching down on the ground. Dean wobbled, now that they were on the ground it was even harder for Dean to stay on the horse. On the upside, if he fell off he wouldn't drop so far he'd die. They were almost to Bobby's, but in the distance Dean could still see the horseback riders. They were still giving chase. "They're still chasing us." he reported.

"Didst thou expect them to stop?" Castiel questioned.

"No- just- shuddap." Dean pouted. "Look, just head for the house."

Castiel stopped his horse just outside of Bobby's house. Dean climbed down, thankful to be on the ground again. His legs felt shaky, Sam rushed out of the house with Bobby. "Dean! Thou art safe!"

"I told ye I wouldst be fine." Dean answered. Though he had to grip onto the fence to keep himself steady. Both Bobby and Sam raised an eyebrow questioningly. Dean frowned, "Look, we haven't got the time to delay. Were being pursued and they shan't be long."

"Great." Sam muttered.

"Then you two need to high tail it out of here." Bobby said without hesitation.

"The men aren't after us." Dean replied slowly. "Though, now they probably are. Since I shot at them..."

"Wait. If they aren't after thee? Who are they after?" Bobby asked.

"A... James C Arthur Novak." Dean repeated thoughtfully. Castiel shifted on his horse, drawing the attention of Sam and Bobby. They had almost forgotten that he was there. "Know something shifty?" Dean asked.

"Nay." Castiel replied.

"Alright, anyway, they were really adamant about finding this guy. Oh, this is Castiel." Dean gestured behind him. Sam gave a small nod and Bobby just shrugged a little. "My best guess says that they will be after us now. Or... rather... me."

"Like I said, both of thee needst to leave. Now." Bobby insisted. He went inside, coming back out with two packs. One of them was for Sam and the other was for Dean. "They hath no reason to attack me."

"Just because they hath no reason doesn't mean they shan't." Sam thought out loud.

"Think I can't handle myself?" Bobby asked.

"Nay, its just-"

"I'll be fine, I know a thing or two. You boys need to go. Now." Bobby insisted, handing both boys their packs. Sam took the pack and then heaved himself up onto the back of his horse. Dean followed suit. Though, both boys hesitated on their horses. The elder Winchester gave a small smile.

Bobby had been there ever since the boys were little. When no one else was there for them, Bobby was there. He was always there, whenever either of the boys needed him. Dean felt a heaviness in his heart, he didn't want to just leave Bobby. Even if Bobby thought that he could handle these guys, Dean was skeptical. He didn't want to underestimate these guys, if there was one thing Dean had learned in life it was that underestimating the enemy was a dangerous game. It was like juggling knives.

But, Dean knew that he wouldn't be able to talk him out of it. When Bobby decided to something he was going to do it. So Dean gave a small smile, "Thanks Bobby. For everything."

"This shan't be the last you'll see of me." Bobby replied, then he held up a hand as if to say 'wait a minute'. He dashed inside and came back out with a small glowing red bird. "Take him with thee, he's a phoenix. Just a baby though, for now he'll work as a messenger bird so we can communicate. Head north, find Ellen. Maybe she can give thee shelter."

If he went north to find Ellen they would have to take ship. Hopefully they would be able to get there before the winter truly set in. Once winter got heavy, no one wanted to be traveling. It was actually pretty dangerous. If the days didn't get them then the nights would, it could get down below freezing on a regular night. Plus, it was really easy to get ill. Once a person got sick they were pretty much dead unless they could get to a doctor immediately.

The bird flew over and landed on Castiel's shoulder. Castiel gave it a questioning look which the bird reciprocated. Dean chuckled a little under his breath. The bird and the boy were strangely alike. The glow of the bird lit up Castiel's face, so Dean could see his eyes. Those quiet, knowledgeable, and distant eyes.

Dean sighed, pulling on the reigns of his horse. "Take care of thyself."

"You as well." Bobby nodded.

The elder took the lead, pulling his horse out of the gate. Sam and Castiel followed suit. Truth be told, Dean didn't really know why Castiel was following. Though, he supposed that the guy didn't have anywhere else to go. He helped get Dean out of trouble which meant that he would be wanted by anyone who wanted Dean dead (which was a large majority of any type of law officials and a handful of women). There wasn't a problem or anything, what was more surprising was that Sam hadn't said anything to Dean.

Usually, Sam would be pissed that he acted so recklessly (though Dean would think eventually he'd get used to it). Still, Sam always protested in some way, some comment, snide remark. Something. What was worse was that it should have been obvious that Castiel knew who Dean was. Dean also figured he'd get an earful for revealing his identity. But yet, as they rode up the first hill Sam didn't say anything. Not one word. His silence was unsettling.

Once they were to the top of the hill Dean gazed back at Sam. His expression was pensive, very difficult to read. But Sam's expression wasn't the only thing that he saw when he looked over his shoulder.

The whole town was ablaze, not just the inn. The whole town, a fiery ball of panic. It was lighting the night sky drawing the attention of anyone who was in eye-shot. Dean's brain froze, going into overdrive. Instinct told him to rush back and see if he could help anyone, but Bobby told him to run. Bobby told them to flee, but Dean wanted to rush back. Desperately.

"This is my fault." Dean whispered.

Sam and Castiel turned their horses around. Sam inhaled sharply, seeing the state of the place. Castiel kept silent, Bobby's phoenix still perched on his shoulder. "Dean..." Sam said quietly. Dean wasn't sure what Sam was protesting too. The idea that he obviously wanted to go back, or the idea that Dean thought it was his fault.

"Dean, the fault is not thine-"

"The hell it isn't." Dean snapped, flickering rage reflecting in his peridot eyes.

"He's right." Castiel broke in lowly. "The fault is not thine. Those men didst not come to the village seeking thee. The men were looking for someone. They burned the village because they did not find who they were looking for. So the fault belongs to them, not you."

"People are dead, because of me!" Dean yelled, poising to run back.

"And they'll still be dead even if you were to run back and try to save them!" Sam argued, pulling his horse in front of Dean. "What hath happened is awful, but we won't get anywhere by going back. Those people are dead Dean."

He hesitated, watching Sam's eyes mist over slightly. Dean came to the private realization that Sam was hurting too. His little brother was hurting just as much, maybe even more. Dean's eyes fell from his little brother to the ground. Sam was right. He didn't have to like it, but Sam was right. Those people who died in the fire weren't going to come back even if he rushed back there. He didn't have any magic or spell to go back in time either.

Dean prayed quietly for those people's souls. He didn't like to pray, but his mother always told him stories about angels when he was little. Plus he wanted those people to go in peace, to a better place. At least, he hoped that it was a better place. It was probably a mute point. "We should go." Dean muttered.

Sam nodded silently in agreement and turned his horse around. Dean guessed that Sam would be content to never see this place again. Sam was funny that way. He took one last look over the city that was now crumbling to ashes. A few fond memories of better days popped into his head causing another swell of guilt to wash over him. He swallowed hard, feeling a thick lump of saliva get stuck in his throat.

Then young Robin Hood did what was best for everyone and turned his back on the town. A place that he was growing into calling home. Just like that, he had nothing again. Nothing but Sam, his horse, and whatever Bobby had packed into his bag. The corners of his mouth turned down as he encouraged his horse to take the lead. Once in front of the rest of the group Dean slowed into a steady pace leading his comrades on into the quiet, dead of night. No words were exchanged between them. What was there to say?

Good job on getting the town you might have called home burned down?

Congratulations on screwing up again?

Dean already had crippling self esteem issues. Anything that could be said now would just be reaffirming it. No home, no self esteem, all he had was Sam. If he even had that, eventually Sam would probably leave too. He already did once before when he left the family for Jessica (not that Dean blamed him for it). Then he would have nothing. He wondered what it would feel like to give up on everything because he didn't have anything. What would it feel like to know that he was well and truly on his own?

The thought made him shudder. Cas road up along side of him and gave him quiet sympathetic eyes. The rest of his face was undecipherable. His lips were neither smiling nor frowning, his face lax and showing no other signs of strain or emotions. Just his eyes, cutting through despair and offering a small amount of comfort. Dean didn't want his pity. He rode a little faster hoping to drop a hint. Though Castiel wasn't the most observant person in the world, he didn't speed up to travel alongside Dean. He left Dean alone, to his own devices.

Silently Dean wished that Cas would have picked up on his underlying desire. The desire for company and warmth. But Castiel did what Dean pretended to want, he kept his distance.

The three road off into the night, silence hanging heavily in the air. There was nothing to say. After a few hours the three headed into a cave. They truly believed that they had lost whoever it was that was on their tails. Dean flopped down onto the earth in silence, he was exhausted.

Sam dismounted in a similar manner, landing on the hard earth. "It's been a long day, we'll pick it up in the morning." Dean said out loud. Sam frowned walking over and pulling his brother up by the collar.

"We need to talk. Now." Sam replied. Castiel walked his horse in last, letting her lay down against the wall. Dean let out a heavy sigh, this was the earful he thought he had escaped from earlier.

"I'll get a fire going." Castiel said quietly walking out of the cave to give them so privacy for a few minutes. Dean sunk down against the wall when Sam let go of him.

"_What_?" he whined loudly. Sam crossed his arms, his bottom lip in a little pout. "Is this about my being reckless or is it about Castiel?"

"Both." Sam answered. "If thee hadn't been so reckless, Castiel wouldn't hath had to come save you!"

"He didn't save me _per say, _I would hath thought of some plan." Dean reassured. Although he was pretty sure if Cas hadn't showed up he would have been in way more trouble. The truth was, Cas pulled him out of a corner. Which he supposed was fine, because Sam wasn't buying into his lie anyway. His eyes narrowed in skepticism, eyebrows furrowing.

"Dean." Sam said, his voice lowering into a register that was unusual for Sam. Dean always thought of him as his little brother so hearing his voice so deep was a bit surprising. "We've already had to bury mom and dad. Please don't make me hath to bury thee as well."

Dean rose to his feet, "Sam, I'm supposed to protect thee. Not the other way around."

"It's not thy job to take on everything with no back up! That's what I'm here for. I'm thy brother, I'm supposed to help you. I'm supposed to be your back up when no one else will. Ye can't just go off and do stupid things because you want to! I won't bury you too. I can't." Sam yelled.

"I..." Dean paused, walking over to the cave entrance. "I'm gonna go help Cas get firewood."

"Dean wait-"

But he was already gone, leaving his brother alone.

Dean walked outside, looking around for Castiel. He was crouched by the river, it was easy to find him since he had a glowing bird perched on his shoulder. Cas had a pile of branches and twigs, did he even know how to make a fire? Dean crouched next to him, sorting through the twigs that were on the ground. "So, why'd you do it?" Dean asked.

"Do what? Please be more specific." Cas replied without even giving Dean a glance.

The corners of Dean's mouth turned down, his eye twitching in frustration. What was it about this guy that made him so mad? "Save me, Cas. Why didst thou save me?"

"Does it matter?" Castiel asked, picking up a small log then looking curiously at the bugs below it.

"Yes." Dean replied. "What if I didn't want to be saved? What if I didn't need to be?"

"Why wouldn't you want to be saved?"

"I'm just-"

"Do you deserve to be saved Dean?"

"What?" Dean asked in a low voice.

"Do you deserve to be saved?" Castiel repeated, still gathering up some odds and ends. Dean hesitated, words getting jammed in his throat. If there were even any words there at all. He swallowed feeling even more irritated. He stalked away from Castiel, finding a clear patch where he could stare and watch the stars. Content to dream of the the stories his father told him when he was little.

* * *

_Daphne, the daughter of Peneus, was Phoebus' (Apollo)_

_first love, and it was not by blind chance which _

_brought this about, but Cupid's savage spite. Not long before, _

_the Delian god, still exultant over his slaying of the serpant,_

_had seen Cupid bending his taut bow, and had said: "You_

_naughty boy, what have you to do with a warrior's arms?_

_Weapons such as these are suited to my shoulders: for_

_I can aim my shafts unerringly, to wound wild beast_

_or human foe, as I lately slew the bloated Python with my_

_countless arrows, though it covered so many acres with its _

_pestilential coils. You be content with your torch to excite_

_love, whatever that may be, and do not aspire to _

_praises that are my prerogative."_

* * *

_First off, I need to cite a source. I know weird, right? The story is a common one in Greek mythology, but it is taken as an excerpt from a book called 'The World of Myth' by David Adams Leemings. It will be referenced again in later chapters, so I felt the need to point it out. Dean likes mythology, aw. Cute. I'm sorry that I've been MIA lately but let's just say illness is not fun (it makes writing impossible). So I hope you guys like the new chapter because it took me forever to write it. I particularity enjoyed writing the chase scene. I wouldn't settle until I felt happy while reading it._

_**Rate, Review, Favorite! It means so much! **_


	4. Mountain and the Sea

Chapter 4: Mountain and the Sea

Dean didn't mean to cause a rift between himself and everyone else he was traveling with. But the fact was, Sam was pissed and Cas was- well, he was Cas. Awkward and confused, oblivious to the world around him but yet in touch enough to know that he should keep his mouth shut. Truth be told, he had no good reason to be mad at Castiel. All he did was ask one simple question, but rational or not Dean was still mad. An intense fire turning over in the pit of his gut; reminding him of last nights towers of flames, destroying an innocent town. Washing over people who didn't deserve damnation.

The truth was, maybe he was just mad at himself.

The three boys had cleaned up their campsite by now, they were heading down an unbeaten path in the forest. It would take a few days to get to the port, so for now they were going to take it slow and enjoy the scenery. Since it was impossible to enjoy the lack of words being spoken between them. Though that didn't mean it was completely quiet, there was still the soft rustling of the trees. The humming of the wildlife around them that were preparing themselves for winter. The hustle and bustle of the natural world. Plus there was the quiet clopping of the horse's hooves against the hard ground. It was a steady rhythm, much like a heart beat.

Click clop, click clop, click clop.

So despite the hostile energies between Sam and Dean, Dean was still comfortable. Rhythm was funny that way, it kind of had a soothing effect on him. Like the waves washing up and down the shoreline smoothing off the rough edges of even the most jagged rocks, the horses steady pace was relaxing. Hell, he'd even go as far as saying it was tranquil.

Castiel and Sam were in the lead, with Dean following behind. This was another reason that he was able to relax; instead of being strong and forward much like the leader of the pack of wolves, he was content to hang back. In this moment there was no danger, no reason to be showing his brother and the clueless noble the way.

In this moment he was able to be himself in every sense of the word, rather then worrying about being a leader. Rather then being the hero. Today Dean Winchester was nothing but a man.

He could enjoy the beams of sunlight that were piercing the thick of the tree tops. Or the scent of autumn leaves that tickled his nose. The fresh breeze that rolled gently across his face, caressing each feature as it passed him by. It was hard to stay mad when it was a day as nice as this. The sky was so wonderfully blue this morning. A brilliant azul hanging just beyond the autumn leaves.

Bobby's phoenix perched on Castiel's shoulder as they rode on. Dean gazed at it questioningly. "Wherefore doth that bird like you so much?" he asked breaking the silence.

Castiel glanced over his shoulder, startling the bird. "I know not."

"It is a little weird." Sam observed without looking back.

"I guess animals just like me..." he replied. "Its been that way as far back as I can remember."

"Speaking of, Cas we don't know much about thee." Dean said as he encouraged his horse to go a little faster so that he would be up to speed with Cas and his brother. He wedged his horse between the two of them so he could travel in the middle. He turned his head, watching Castiel's profile. "Tell us about you."

Castiel frowned, his eyes fixed on a distant place. "There isn't much to say."

"So?" Dean replied. "All things considered, you know our darkest secret. We know nothing about thou. Even if there isn't much to say don't you think we deserve the same respect?"

"Let us try this, any question that we ask we will also answer. That way it is fair." Sam interjected.

"Fine." Cas agreed.

"Wherefore didst thou leave home?" Dean asked.

Castiel paused before answering, his expression thoughtful. It was the first time that Dean had seen Castiel looking contemplative. A long silence ensued, leaving Dean to question if Cas was even going to answer the question. "Freedom. For one thing, I wanted to be my own person independent from my family. I was also looking for some friends."

"Friends?" Dean asked.

"Yes." he said, refusing to elaborate.

"Well, kind of an unfair question. You know why we left home, so you ask us a question." Sam smiled. But that was just Sam, always the peace maker.

"Wherefore Robin Hood?" Castiel asked.

Dean looked over to Sam, wondering which of them should answer the question. It was fair for either of them to take it. Sam shrugged so Dean decided to take the initiative. "It wasn't really our decision, our father took the job. He wanted revenge against the people who took our mother away from us. She passed away from illness, no one would help her. He wanted to prevent that fate from happening to anyone else."

"Makes sense." Castiel replied. "Though, you should know revenge is never over."

The conversation came to a screeching halt. Sam frowned, looking irritated. But Dean smiled, he was glad that somebody else understood his sentiment. Though it was clear as day on the younger Winchester's face that he took offense to the comment. Sam wanted revenge, he wanted justice for the wrong doings of others. For what they did to his girlfriend Jessica. Dean was thankful that he had never experienced that kind of pain before. He was too young to remember his mother in great detail and he had never lost someone like Sam had. He was lucky.

Dean turned his head to watch Castiel, who realized too late that he had offended Sam. His eyes dropped, his expression darkening. He looked helpless, floundering like a fish out of water. It was clear that he wanted to say something, but there was nothing to say. No way to follow up without offending Sam more then he already had. Sadly, Cas didn't even know about Jessica. After a few moments, Sam pressed forward encouraging his horse to run instead of walk.

Castiel looked up for that, watching as the younger Winchester scurried away. His blue eyes widening with guilt for saying something careless. He was like a lost puppy who had chewed through his master's shoes. Now that he was being lectured for his mistakes, he felt utterly guilty. Dean smiled a little, imagining Cas with puppy ears. "The fault is not thine."

Cas' blue eyes, widened looking the tiniest bit relieved. The hint of a smile danced at Castiel's lips but he quietly pushed it away. Dean offered up a faint smile in return, he wanted to be more reassuring but he didn't think that he could. It was hard for him to reassure Cas, when Sam probably rode ahead because he was mad at both Cas and Dean.

"Really, I think he's just mad at the world." Dean offered. "Me, thou, really anyone who might say something wrong. Sam's girlfriend was killed, that's the real reason that he took up the cape."

"What about thee? Thy brother hath his own reasons, so?" Castiel asked carefully. Dean noticed that his tone was different, quieter and more timid. Cas didn't want to offend Dean, since he had already offended Sam. Or maybe he didn't want to offend Dean again after what happened last night.

"Nah, no special reason. I just do it because my dad raised me into it-"

"That's a lie." Cas observed, his eyes locking into a stare down with Dean's. "If thou only didst this because of thy father then one would hath abandoned the life after he was gone."

Dean felt his eyes stuck on Castiel's as if some force was pulling him there. A magnetized and hypnotic stare that couldn't be broken by just anything or by just anyone. There was heat on Dean's end, a fierce stare. He was a hawk watching his prey, waiting for him to slip up and make a mistake so he could swoop in and take him out. But Cas, his eyes were timid and curious. There was something gentle about his look, like a rabbit assessing the danger in a situation.

If Dean's stare was white hot, like the heat of the desert after having no water for days then Castiel was the gentle sun peaking out from behind the clouds. Despite his intensity and determination not to lose to Cas he turned his head away. Conceding the silent argument. But Dean could still feel Castiel's eyes watching him, the warmth of spring sun on his back. A rosiness creeping into his cheeks, despite his dark frown. He pulled his hood up over his face, hoping to create a barrier between himself and Cas' wandering eyes.

The boys came out of the woods, the sunlight hitting them full force causing them momentary blindness as their eyes adjusted. Dean tugged his hood father down, hoping to remedy the situation. Once the boys eyes were adjusted they noticed the breath taking view.

They were atop a large cliff, that trailed down to the blue ocean. In the light of the day, it was almost impossible to separate the horizon line from the skyline. It seemed the ocean and the skies were content to be as one. Forever dancing together as a spectrum of blues.

Sam had stopped to take in the view, he was standing at the foot of the cliff watching the waves bobbed close to the shore. Dean pulled his horse alongside Sam, inhaling the scent of the ocean breeze. "Beautiful ain't it?"

Dean stepped off of his horse, feeling the grass squish under his feet. From here, it was too steep to get down but there was a path off to his left that would let him get down to the shore. He started to his left, heading down the path. If this path could even be called 'a path' it was treacherous and steep. He led his horse carefully, taking caution with each step. Sam followed behind, careful to step exactly where his brother had stepped since he knew it was safe.

However, Castiel decided to go about things a bit differently. He went barreling off the side of the cliff, his horse gliding down and landing on the sand below. "Show off." Dean called. Castiel gave a small embarrassed smile.

The trio reunited on the beaches, walking along the shoreline. At the rate they were going they would have another days journey (at least) before they got to the port. If they followed the shoreline, they would reach their destination without having to worry about getting lost. Though they would have to make sure they stayed far enough away from the waters that high tide wouldn't reach them. "Are we staying along the shore?" Castiel asked.

"It would be best." Dean answered. Castiel stopped, falling behind Dean's vision. The brothers stopped to turn back and look at Cas who was know fidgeting with his shoes.

"What, pray tell are thee doing?" Sam asked, his expression quizzical.

Castiel looked up, a pink in his cheeks. "Taking my shoes off. Haven't thee ever walked without them on the beach?"

Dean chuckled under his breath, what a weirdo.

"Nay." Sam replied.

Castiel finished and slung his shoes onto his horses back. He shoved his feet into the white sand, looking satisfied. Dean shrugged and decided to follow Castiel's example. He bent down, pulling his shoes off and slinging them back onto his horse. Sam raised an eyebrow, looking at Dean.

"What?" Dean asked. "It feels good."

Sam shrugged, shaking his head at his companions. Dean laughed heartily, Sam was the youngest of the three but he was pretending to be to mature for this. How was taking your shoes off on a beach immature? Dean walked over to the ocean, bending down and splashing Sam with the water. He frowned, pulling his shoes off and chasing his brother into the waters. Sam might have pretended to be the adult here, but he was still a kid just like Dean. He swallowed the bait that was on the hook.

Dean let out a yelp, hoisting himself up onto some rocks. He kicked the water at his little brother who put up his arms in defense. "Look what you started!" Dean yelled over the sound of splashes.

Castiel shrugged, leaning down and picking up a sea shell. "Don't you just sit there thumbing your shell! Help me you bloody twit!" Dean half yelled, half laughed. Sam shot forward an arm, grabbing one of Dean's legs sending him tottering over into the sea. Both boys sat up looking like drowned rats. Cas put one hand over his mouth, bitting back a laugh. Dean pulled his now soaked hood off his head so that he could see.

But the older Winchester was only up for a moment before Sam shoved him back over into the cold water. Dean pulled himself up a second time, this time going all the way up to his feet instead of sitting. He pulled off his soaked shirt wringing it out over his brother's head. Sam swatted Dean's leg but that wasn't enough to stop him, so he sloshed out of the way pulling himself back up.

Dean made his way out of the ocean, wringing out the clothes that he could remove. "This is your fault Cas." he joked.

His company only smiled in response, but Dean Winchester was not about to let Cas get the best of him. In this case, revenge was totally worth it. He walked over to Castiel, hoisting him up into his arms. Castiel instantly began flailing like a small child, trying to break free from his captor. Sam pulled himself out of the water to help Dean, grabbing Castiel's arms. Dean let his grip fall so he was holding Castiel's feet, the two boys climbed onto the rocks. They swung Castiel back and forth three beats before letting him go into the water.

Castiel bolted up, then shook his head back and forth trying to get the water off of him. Dean leaned forward, laughing loudly. Sam clutched his sides, as Cas shook off like a dog. Now they were all soaked. "What did I do?!" Cas cried, walking back to his horse.

"I told thee." Dean answered, "You started it by taking off thy shoes."

Castiel made a strange inhuman screech sounding noise, trying to wring out his clothes. He pulled his cape off and tossed it at Dean's face, knocking Dean off balance and back into the water. "Perhaps we should find a cave to stay in tonight and get a fire started." Sam offered. Now shivering from the cold, wet clothes that were plastered against him.

"Sounds good." Dean replied, sloshing back to shore. He felt tempted to mess up Cas one last time, since he wanted to have the last word but he decided to wait until later when Cas wouldn't be expecting it.

It didn't take them long to find a cave. The brothers had been trained by their father to make the most of nature. It was easy Sam to estimate where the tide would be at its highest point and it was easy for Dean to seek out a cave. They both had strengths in finding things in nature, Sam's was knowing facts about nature. Knowing what type of things to eat, facts about animals, things like that. Dean was more skilled in hunting down the animals, making fires, the actual application. They made a good team. Cas was just along for the ride, but on the upside if Dean asked him to do something he was pretty good about doing it right. He was good at following Dean's instructions.

Once they had searched out a cave that wasn't inhabited by animals and wouldn't be caught in high tide, Sam went off to find some wood for a fire. Cas worked on making beds out of whatever he could find, which left Dean to try and get some food. Since they were by the ocean he decided to do some fishing, he stripped himself down to just his pants diving into the water.

It took him a little while to get far enough away from the shore to find some fish. Plus opening your eyes under water was never pleasant. But, Dean had done it before and he wasn't a sissy when it came to pain. He needed to see to catch fish, who was he to complain?

Dean glided through the water with ease, he had been fishing like this a lot of times. He held his breath pretty well, so he only had to come up for air every once and a while. He found his way to a reef, observing the fish as they darted about in their schools. He popped up inhaling the fresh air then went in attempting to catch a few.

He failed miserably.

Not that it was uncommon to fail in a situation like this one, it was a lot harder then it looked. He bobbed upward, taking some deep breaths and readying himself to go back under.

"Need any help?" Castiel shouted from the shore.

Dean shrugged, then realized that Cas couldn't seem him shrug from there. "If you're a good swimmer." Dean yelled. Castiel started stripping into just his pants and paddled out to where Dean was.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked.

"Get adjusted first." Dean said, taking a deep breath and plunging back into the water. Cas followed behind though he seemed to have a harder time seeing in the water. Dean chased a fish, the returned to the surface. Cas followed suit. "Yah good?"

"Aye." Cas replied, taking a deep breath and going down into the water. Dean hesitated for a moment, Cas bobbed back up to the surface. "Coming?" he asked in a curious voice. Dean smiled, something about Castiel's attitude was- dare he say, cute. The water reflected off of his blue eyes, it almost made them glow.

"Yeah. Follow my lead okay?" Dean said, dunking back under. Castiel followed behind him, watching his every move. Dean saw a school of fish, he turned back to Cas. First he pointed at himself, then pointed at one side of the reef. Next he pointed at Cas and pointed at the other side, that way they could trap who was in the middle. Cas gave an exaggerated nod to signify that he understood and the two separated.

The two of them came paddling around the reef at the same time, Dean reached forward grabbing a fish and clutching it in his arms. Cas also managed to grab one, they both surfaced the fish flailing to get free in their arms. Dean used his legs to push himself back to shore.

"Alright!" Dean smiled victoriously. The two of them made their way to the shore in pretty good time, Dean tossed the fish up onto the ground. Heaving deep breaths, using only your legs to get back to shore was quite the work out. "Let's get these cleaned up."

"Okay." Cas replied breathlessly flopping onto his back as he tossed the fish up above him. Hopefully they wouldn't be able to get back to the water before they died, but Dean didn't really care at the moment. He laid still, watching Castiel's chest heave up and down. His eyes wandered all across the noble's body, looking at the intricacies of his skin. The curves of the different parts of his chest, his ribs poking out when he breathed deeply. Cas needed to eat more.

But he looked good, laying next to Dean in the sand. Shirtless, wet, breathless, Dean felt his throat close at the thought. His cheeks flushed pink but Castiel was staring up at the sky, he didn't seem to notice Dean's wandering eyes. Dean chewed his bottom lip quietly, watching Cas.

Until Castiel rolled his head to the side looking at Dean, his childish blue eyes brimming with happiness. "I've never fished like that before."

"I take it you haven't done a lot of things before." Dean replied, rolling his head to the side too. A soft silence found the boys, as they laid still on the shore. Dean's eyes fell to Castiel's thin, chapped lips that were curled up in a small smile.

"That's true." he admitted after a moment, not catching Dean's implied innuendo. Their eyes met, electricity in the space between. Dean felt his breath hitch, escaping him. Butterflies fluttering on the inside of his gut. Sunlight dancing across Castiel's face, in the moment there was him, Cas, and the sound of a loud heart beat in his ears.

A wary hand extended, but Castiel sat up pulling himself away. Dean sat up to, noticing that Cas had some sand on his cheek. He brushed it away with his fingertips, electricity surging through his body. But Castiel stood up, gathering the now dead fish up in his arms. All things considered, Dean was kind of glad Cas interrupted the moment.

Who has a moment when dead fish are just a few feet away? The rationalization made sense in his head, he scooped up their clothes heading back to the cave. Hopefully Sam was back by now so they could get these fish cooking before they started to smell. Dean was pleased to find that he was correct, Sam was back. He started cooking the fish as Sam and Cas talked about something. For the life of him Dean couldn't remember.

His thoughts were on Castiel. He wasn't sure what had happened earlier and it was bothering him. Dean was never allowed a moment of peace. The image of a soaked young man burned into the back of his eyelids every time he closed them._  
_

* * *

_But Venus' son replied: **"**Your bow may pierce everything else, _

_Phoebus, but mine will pierce you: and as all animals are_

_inferior to the gods,__your glory is to that extent less then mine.__"_

* * *

Dean had a hard time getting to sleep that night, in fact sleep seemed pretty much impossible. He stared at the jagged top of the cave, listening to his brother snoring quietly. His thoughts raced with the events of the day, his mind refusing to quiet itself.

The hunter rolled to his feet, deciding to take a beat alone. He walked up and down the shore. His feet were bare and when the tide rolled in the cold water brushed against his ankles. Castiel was right, walking bare foot on the beach did feel good. The air was cool, but not cold. The perfect temperature for an evening stroll, though it was the dead of night not the evening. Details were never that important to Dean.

"Dean?" a quiet voice asked.

"Cas." Dean answered without looking.

"Pray tell, what are you doing?"

"Thinking."

Castiel walked up alongside Dean, matching his stride. His intentions were unclear to Dean, did he want to be near him? Dean wondered silently. "About?"

"Eh, nothing that important. What might you be doing out in this eve?" he asked.

"I couldn't sleep." Castiel replied honestly, his eyes focused on the ground.

"Wherefore?"

"I was also thinking." the noble answered vaguely.

"About?" Dean mimicked, causing a small smile to play at the corners of Castiel's mouth. He even let out a gentle chuckle.

"My family." he answered, stopping to stare at the moon. "The way that Sam and thee act reminds me of my brothers. Or I guess, how they used to act. I suppose I might be feeling a little lonely."

Dean watched as Castiel stared absently at the moon. His eyes were glazed over, he was thinking about his family. It hadn't really occurred to Dean that Cas even had a family till now. Yet, now that he was here watching Cas he could see his sadness. The way that his shoulders were slumped, his eyes misted over, his expression vacant- Castiel was lost in thought. The noble looked that he was miles away, somewhere far beyond. Carefully, Dean laid a hand on Castiel's shoulder drawing him back from the atmosphere.

"You're not alone." Dean offered sympathetically.

"You remind me of my brother." Cas said quietly.

"Really?" Dean asked. The words felt like a punch to the gut, but he pretended not to notice. It was a compliment, he should take it as such. "What's something that he would do?"

"He used to take me and my other brother out at night, telling us stories and letting us chase the lightning bugs. He was always very kind, but also sort of gruff. He just cared about us a lot, so sometimes when we made stupid mistakes he would be angry. The real reason that he was angry was that he just wanted the best for us. When we didn't seek it ourselves, he could get frustrated. But he was always warm and encouraging." Castiel answered. Dean broke from Castiel's side, walking up to the grass and flopping back in it. "What are you doing?"

Dean patted the ground next to him. "He told thee stories right?"

Cas laughed quietly, giving a smile that showed teeth. He made his way over and laid down next to Dean, who had his hands back behind his head. Castiel laid his head on Dean's chest, making himself comfortable. "You do this with your brother?" he asked.

"All three of us would lay on one another, yes."

With his free hand, Dean gestured to a group of stars, "That's the constellation Orion. Orion was a hunter..."

* * *

_With these words he swiftly winged his way through the air,_

_till he alighted on the shady summit of Parnassus. From his quiver, _

_full of arrows, he drew two darts, with different properties. The_

_one puts love to flight, the other kindles it. That which kindles_

_love is golden, and shinning, sharp-tipped; but that which puts it to flight_

_is blunt, its shaft tipped with lead. With this arrow the god pierced the_

_nymph, Peneus' daughter, but Apollo he wounded with the other, _

_shooting it into the marrow of his bones. Immediately the one_

_fell in love; the other, fleeing the very word "__**lover**__" took her delight in _

_woodland haunts and in the spoils of captured beasts, _

_emulating Diana, the maiden goddess._

* * *

_Enjoy the fluff. You're welcome. No seriously, I really enjoyed this chapter. Actually, I just really enjoy this story. And I love the fact that I got to write the beach scene with Sam, Dean, and Cas. That was way to much fun to write. For those of you who are waiting for an update on 'Silhouette' I apologize, I'm working on it but it's not flowing very easily. I have major writers block on it and since this story is really just starting its a lot easier to write. Plus its just so lax at the moment, 'Silhouette' has such an impending doom feeling to it since its basically an exploration of the human psyche. _

_Any who, I've seen a lot of stories where Castiel is in love with Dean. Castiel struggles with how to tell Dean about his feelings. Castiel has an issue. Castiel can't seem to get his point across.  
_

_I wanted to change it up with this story, having Dean hone in on Cas rather then having Cas hone in on Dean. Now let me say, Cas still has issues (we just haven't gotten there yet) but I think its important to change things up. So rather then have Cas chasing after Dean, I decided to have Dean chasing after Cas. And I regret nothing. Also I think this is the first time that Cas mentions his siblings. A big part of this story is going to be the exploration of the number three, as in my concept there is almost always three. Dean, Sam, Cas in the present. Dean, Sam, John in Dean and Sam's past. Dean, Sam, Bobby. Cas, Lucifer, Michael in Cas' past. Cas, Balthazar, Gabriel in Cas' past. This story is basically going to be centered around parties of three and the way that there is always two opposing forces and a mediator. The concept of balance amongst peers. Don't want to spoil too much for you so I'll leave it at that.  
_

_In other news, they hugged.  
_

_That is all.  
_

_____**Rate, Review, Favorite! It means so much!**_


	5. Snake In the Grass

Chapter 5: Snake In the Grass

Dean groaned quietly, eyes heavy as the sun creeped up on them much like a lion creeps up on its prey in the brush. Or how a child sneaks up on their friend to give them a good scare. His left arm had an uncomfortable buzzing to it, must be asleep. He shifted his head to make sure. Dark hair flooded his blurry vision, he blinked a few times allowing his eyes to adjust to the light.

That's right, he and Cas had come out here last night. The two must have fallen asleep like this and spent the night out here. Dean inhaled deeply, feeling the weight of Castiel's head pushing down on him. It was strange, when Cas was lying like this it seemed like his whole life was in Dean's hand. He could reach down and snap his friends neck without him ever knowing, if he wanted to. He watched as the noble's head rose with him their breathing synchronized, this was what harmony looked like. Cas rolled over a little his hand resting on Dean's stomach. He sighed reluctantly. Cas didn't want to wake up apparently, a small smile drew up at the corner of Dean's lips.

It was cute, so despite the discomfort his arm was in he decided not to wake his sleeping angel. He rolled his head back to the center, so that he might face the morning sky. Rays of light were peaking through the clouds now, pinks and purples flooding his vision. It was a beautiful morning and if he hadn't been laying with Cas he might have fancied a walk. He exhaled, the morning air was brisk so he could see his breath. Castiel groaned quietly beside him, clutching at his shirt fabric. He looked like a helpless child, gripping his blanket tight. Vulnerable was the first word to come to mind. Innocent following there after.

For this moment in time, Dean was able to feel a sense of peace that he often lacked in his day to day life. With Castiel sleeping there on his chest, he felt that someone was relying on him. Yet not the same way that Sam would rely on him. This was different, it was as if Castiel was relying on him because he wanted too. There was nothing forced about his actions- a genuine act of trust. Dean kind of liked the sound of that.

In laments terms: he had made a friend all on his own. Now that friend trusted him, but not because someone said he had too. This was all Castiel, well- Castiel and Dean.

Strangely that wasn't something Dean did often, trusting didn't come easily to him. But it seemed to come easily to the noble who was resting silently on his chest. Castiel seemed to love blindly and unconditionally, putting his faith into the people that he cared about. In that way, he seemed very childish. Cas loved others and wasn't afraid of their scorn, he wasn't afraid to be thrashed by the whip of cruelty and manipulation. He chose to think the best of other people, a trait Dean usually found disgusting.

Yet on Castiel, it was quite charming. Maybe one would even say it was a redeeming quality that few people possessed. The type of person who loved recklessly and blindly was always the type of person that brought others together. Even if they didn't always know that they were a neutralizer. Dean wagered that if two people who were polar opposites were placed in a room with Castiel, by the end of the evening Cas would be able to make them part as unlikely friends.

The type of person who could ease the tension in a room, much like when someone coaxes a crying baby. The type of person who was capable of making others feel that they were safe, despite all circumstances. Which was odd, considering Castiel didn't fair well in a fight. He wasn't physically fit, nor mentally capable of doing real harm to someone else. He would rather reason with others then try and force them into conflict. He was at heart a lover, not a fighter.

Sadly though, he wasn't a romantic lover. Castiel was the type of person to view all love as platonic. People like him who were able to love others so freely and look for the admirable qualities rather then the bad ones often didn't fall in love. They were far too busy being caught up in the bounty that life had to offer. In this way, he would always remain a pure entity. A being that was beautiful, unbroken, and unscathed. Castiel didn't need to eat the apple in Eden, there was a whole garden to explore. He would always be pure, so he couldn't fall in love as that would mean sacrificing a part of that purity.

Almost certainly, he would never be able to fall in love with someone like Dean. A man who was dark and weathered. Who has stared into the abyss, only to the cold eyes of nothingness staring back. A person who routinely stared down death, violence, and human vice- a person who never blinked. Dean was a pessimist, a drop of black ink that would soak into Castiel's snow white paper. Altering it for life, they could remain as friends but nothing more. Dean was the dark to Castiel's light, the lion taking care of the lamb.

Not that Dean was thinking about them being anything more to Castiel the idea was just 's interesting where one's mind wanders off to when one cannot move because of a sleeping angel on their chest.

Castiel clutched Dean's shirt again, tighter this time. He murmured under his breath, as his dream continued one. "Michael..."

"Cas you okay?" Dean said, his words barely audible above the sounds of nature. Cas groaned again, offering no explanation. He rolled a little more pressing his face into Dean's chest as if it were a pillow. "Hey."

"What?" Cas asked quietly, pushing his head further into Dean.

"Art thou alright?" he repeated into Cas' hair.

"Aye." he answered. "Just let me linger here a little longer, I wish to dream of the home I once knew."

It was hard to argue with that. When one wishes to indulge in nostalgia they should be left to their own private thoughts. Dean could respect that being that he often wished to dream of his family. To dream of a peaceful world where there was no need for Robin Hood. A place where his mother never passed, where Sam could have a girl with whom he shared a special connection, and their father had no reason to put pressure on Sam. Strange how when he pictured his family happy there was nothing that he wanted. Just the fact that they would be happy was enough.

Dean let himself relax again, using his free hand to brush the top of Cas' head. Cas exhaled loudly, readjusting his head so that he was comfortable. Then once again he drifted out of consciousness leaving Dean alone in reality. Not that Dean minded of course. "What was thine home like?" he asked quietly.

"Warm when everyone was together. When we were all happy. Mom and dad together, then me and my brothers... The room would light up- my brothers have such an energy. They can fight but at the end of the day, they'll forgive each other. Even now, I have hope that one day they'll be able to see eye to eye someday. But, when everyone was off on their own doing their own business- the place seemed unnecessarily spacious. It seemed empty and cold without all of us together. A home with no hearth to keep it warm feels... barren and hallow..."

"When did it start feeling so empty?" Dean asked, engaging in the conversation with a lazy tone.

"When my mother left." he said sadly. "The light in my father's eyes left, he stopped caring about others. He became cold and detached- very sad... It tore my brothers apart. It tore me apart- to see them that way..."

"I know what that's like. When my mother passed, my father became so angry and driven. All he wanted was revenge... Some days- some days I worry that Sam will be just like him. I want him to live a full life, not one filled with hate."

"Hate is like a big black pool of tar. Once a person steps into it, the pit pulls them down. Then the more they struggle against it- the harder it is to escape. Only when one surrenders themselves to the mercy of others, only when they trust that that person will save them- can they truly be pulled out. Even then, they'll still be covered in black tar. They need others to help them scrap it off too. The best idea is to decide not to hate." Castiel paused. He was right, in a way. His analogy made sense, but it hit close to home. Dean felt himself on the verge of hate so many times, he felt himself so angry at those who were hypocritical. Often he felt himself wanting to hate, it would be so much easier. But like Cas said, if he started to hate would he ever be able to stop? He didn't want his sole purpose to be hate and revenge. That was a dangerous game to play. "I sense hate in you Dean."

"What?" Dean jumped a little. "No I don't..."

"But not the person one would think." Castiel observed quietly. "Its not the evil in the world you hate, its-"

"I don't hate Cas." Dean answered.

"I see... my mistake." Cas said softly.

"Ye don't believe me?"

"No, I do." Cas reassured weakly. "There are just moments, when I see anger in thy heart. Moments when you seem to be sad at the way the world is. Or angry about the way the world is..."

"Well, that's a true statement. I mean, out there in the real world there are so many bad people. There's so much crap that drags down good people. There's just chaos and violence, it drags innocent lives down. There are good people out there- they don't deserve the evil that's exists. But those people always end up screwed because they refuse to be selfish."

"But those people, the ones that thou says are always... 'screwed', they don't care. Because those people aren't looking to get a reward out of life. The reward that they receive is, its life Dean."

"Life?"

"Aye. Life." Cas repeated back. "Hath you ever just sat and listened to nature? Or enjoyed the taste of a freshly picked apple. Maybe you hath just sat back with thy family and been reinvigorated by their energy. Life, the things that fill you with energy. Family, nature, progress, whatever it is that's important to you. That's the reward that life hath to offer to those who are willing to receive it."

"That's a different perspective." Dean said thoughtfully, while he palmed ideally at Castiel's hair. "We should get up, before Sam comes out here and gives us funny looks."

"Fine." Cas agreed reluctantly rolling off of his cushion.

"So, would ye sleep on thy brother or is that just an exclusive thing?" Dean sassed.

"Oh hush." Cas answered, smacking Dean in the shoulder. "And yes, I have fallen asleep on my brothers in the past. So don't torment me about it."

"There's no point in telling me not to torment ye about something. Thou should know by now I shall torment you on what I see fit. I'm a pain like that." Dean smirked. Castiel offered no words merely followed behind Dean as they headed back into the cave. Sam was still asleep when they got inside, "Good for us." he whispered to Cas.

Cas laughed under his breath, Bobby's phoenix flying over and landing carefully on his shoulder. Dean wondered silently why it was that animals were just drawn to him. Cas turned his head to the side, giving a tiny smile to the bird. It was strange how Cas seemed to be more comfortable with animals. They were innocent, like he is. In some way, they belong together. When Cas said that nature was invigorating to him, he wasn't kidding.

"Come on. Rise and shine Sammy." Dean sang smacking his brother playfully. Sam rolled over, pulling his cloak over him and frowning. He looked like a hibernating animal, curled up in his cloak. Dean leaned down by where his brother's head was, an evil scheming smirk at one corner of his lips. "Wake up!"

"Go home." Sam mumbled barely coherent. Dean shrugged then grabbed the cloak, stripping Sam of his blanket. Sam groaned and protested loudly, but Dean was adamant that his brother wake up now.

After about fifteen minutes Sam was up and ready to go, almost like he was a completely different person. They had their campsite cleaned up in a matter of minutes. It was always much easier to do things when everyone was pitching in. Before they knew it they were outside on the beach, following the ocean shore.

By high noon they were halfway to the town. At the rate they were going they would probably make it by night fall. Dean stretched towards the sky happily, his horse doing most of the work giving him time to feel relaxed. He was a little tired from the swimming with Cas yesterday. Dean leaned his head back to the sky, "Mm. It doth feel great for us to be out in the sun. I wonder how many more days we'll have like this."

"It's true." Sam agreed. "It sure doth not feel like October."

"I wonder if we shall have a warm winter." Dean thought aloud.

"Ah don't jinx it!" Sam shouted, throwing his arms out to the sides.

"I'm not going to jinx it!" Dean returned defensively. "You're the jinx not me!"

Castiel chuckled quietly, content to watch the brothers argue. They didn't mean any harm to one another so it was okay. They were just being playful and having a disagreement. Dean looked over to Cas quickly, hearing his friend laughing quietly. "It's not funny, Cas. Stop laughing."

Dean watched as Cas quietly clammed back up, as if someone had just shot him down with an arrow. His features went a little darker, a crimson color creeping into his cheeks. His eyes going downcast, to hide from Dean. He didn't mean to snap, he meant for it just to be a simple jest but instead it came out forceful. The words crippling Castiel's budding wings. He was trying to get out of the nest and Dean just threw a rock at him. "S-sorry." Dean stammered, feeling stupid.

"Its alright." Cas replied quietly.

Idiot. Dean repeated over in his head. Here he was trying to be kind and be silly and it all just came out wrong. He chewed his lower lip, trying to think of something to say to help. Dean reached for Castiel's shoulder but Cas brushed it off pushing his horse forward. The Pegasus' wings spread, flapping a few times creating a strong wind that made Sam and Dean stop. Then with no further warning, the horse dashed up into the skies.

"Nice. I think you hurt his feelings." Sam declared, making Dean feel even more like an idiot.

"Yeah, thanks- I got that." he frowned.

"What happened last night?"

"What?" Dean asked, his neck snapping to face his brother. He felt a blush creeping up in the sides of his cheeks but he forced it back down. Sam wasn't allowed to see him looking flustered or flushed, that implied vulnerability. Vulnerability that he wasn't allowed to show around Sam or his father. He was supposed to be a man, a soldier, Robin Hood. These people weren't emotional or flustered. They were confident, endearing, capable.

"Thou didn't come back last night." Sam observed.

"We were on a walk." Dean half lied. What they were really doing was laying under the stars and sharing stories. Talking.

Connecting.

Something that Dean hadn't done in a long time. He was always Mr. Soldier, far too busy to be having frivolous conversations under the moonlight with a man. With a man. That kind of thing was really taboo unless it was your family. It was rare for two men to be together in public, that was always the type of thing that people kept a secret. It was just unnatural. Two men did not belong together, as there was no way they could ever conceive. According to his father: "In order for two people to have a successful relationship they must have the right equipment. One must be capable of bearing children. If a man and a woman weren't together then how would the human race progress? And that's not even touching on god."

God.

His mother believed in god, she believed in angels too. She believed in a higher power and every time she would tuck Dean in she would whisper: "Angels are watching over thee." His mother believed in god and his mercy, his plan for everyone. Even so, she never said that two men would burn in hell for being in love. She believed that people are born to fall in love, it doesn't matter who it is that you fall in love with. God would always forgive you because he is just.

But if god was so just why did he kill Mary Winchester? If god was so great then why did he choose to make John Winchester a revenge driven sociopath? If god was so perfect, so merciful, and so caring why did he let Sam and Dean Winchester be raised to avenge people? To take from those in a higher place and give to those in need.

Dean believed in the cape, he believed in helping those who couldn't help themselves. He didn't believe in revenge or in hatred- but Sam did.

If god was such a wonderful person why didn't he give a damn and why was he so cruel?

"So you took a walk, for two hours?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"What dost thou mean, 'I guess so'. It's not a guess it is or it isn't." Sam said skeptically. He didn't seem to be buying what Dean was selling. Which wasn't uncommon, Sam always had the uncanny ability to annoy Dean into telling the truth. But here the truth seemed almost dangerous. Instead of being an elephant in the room, it was more like the snake in the grass. A poisonous snake hiding underneath the brush waiting to make one decisive strike.

"It is. Okay? We went for a walk." Dean replied, egging on his horse to go from a saunter into a gallop. The breeze rushed against his skin, sea air smelling fresh and clean. He pushed his horse to go a little faster, but Sam didn't give chase. Instead he hung back, apparently he wasn't as interested in forcing Dean to speak.

Which was good because Dean no longer felt like speaking. It was time to ride the wind, to feel the air, to be free. Despite his desire to feel free though, he still felt trapped. The weight of expectation weighing heavily on his shoulders. So he rode faster, the wind changing into a violent gust against his face.

One cannot outrun themselves. They can't outrun there fears, expectations, anxiety, sadness, guilt, frustration, and most importantly their past. But Dean Winchester was determined to try. The faster he went, the more frustrated he felt. The more he wanted to run to the nearest cliff and jump off into the ocean. The more he wanted to turn into a bird and fly away.

But he couldn't run forever. Eventually he had to slow down, his horse returning to a slow stride now that he was maybe a mile or two ahead of Sam. God knows where Castiel was at this point. Miles away in the atmosphere, trying to catch clouds with his bare hands probably. "I'm an idiot." he whispered to no one.

"Nay. Just someone who makes mistakes." a voice said from behind.

Or rather what he thought was no one.

Dean jumped a little, turning his head to see Castiel. "I- I figured thou would hath stopped over by Sam instead of me."

"As I was descending, I saw thee first. So..." he shrugged lightly.

"I said something careless." Dean said quietly.

"Aye." Cas agreed. "But, that doesn't mean that one cannot make up for it."

"How can you just be okay with it?" Dean asked, borderline snapping again.

"I just can. I hath had time to process it and to move on." Cas replied, his eyes focusing on a distant object. Dean glanced over quietly, noticing the distance in Castiel's eyes. He wasn't looking at Dean, his expression was just vacant. Like there was nothing behind those blue crystals.

"So what? Ye fly up into the sky, think, and everything is fine?" Dean asked.

"Pretty much. I should take thee next time." Cas said thoughtfully.

"Uh... I don't do heights."

"But, it feels wonderful. The wind whipping against one's face, one can reach out and touch the clouds. Its wonderful, I can put you in front of me so you'll be safe." Cas reassured passively.

"I don't do heights." Dean repeated. He meant it too, he was afraid of heights. Something about falling made him feel helpless. Like instead of falling through the air, he was falling apart. Going further and further, until he hit the ground and smashed completely into pieces. Like the most precious and delicate vase that was knocked from its place on the mantel.

What was worse then falling apart, was falling in a dream. You would never know when you were going to hit the ground. Falling could take hours, there was no way to tell. Dean swallowed hard, anxiety squirming like worms inside his belly. He felt sick and nauseous at the thought of falling- in any context. But he bit back the feeling, hoping that Castiel couldn't see his weakness. Especially since Cas seemed to be forming a habit of looking straight through him.

On the upside, Castiel remained silent beside him. Dean decided to steal a quick glance at him, hoping he didn't say something offensive again. A stoic figure rode alongside him, eyes distant and cool in the moment. Cas gazed over passively observing Dean, who was observing him. So almost immediately Dean found himself looking away.

"Hey! Wait up!" Sam's voice chided from behind them as raced to their sides.

_Weird day_. Dean thought silently.  
_  
_

* * *

_Another short chapter. I keep feeling like I should apologize but rather then do that I'm going to just explain why I haven't been updating. I have been thinking critically about going back to school. Really weighing pros and cons, I'm happy to say that I have applied to a school. So I've been busy trying to get things together for them, since I'm applying to The Art Institute. As you may not know, I am an artist as well as a writer. It's been a dream of mine to get a degree in animation so that I might apply to work for Disney. _

_Just a little tid bit about me._

_So yeah. That's been keeping me busy. I'm thinking I'm going to work out a schedule for updating but I haven't quite worked it out yet. I'm trying to figure out how I can keep writing while returning to my normal life. Baby steps my friends, baby steps._

_That doesn't mean I'll stop posting. I really encourage you to follow me on tumblr (its lookingatthepieces) if you want to read some of my meta and theories. I love discussion and I'd love to debut about characters if you guys have time. Most of the times I just drown in feelings but I really do talk about what symbols, parallels, and other things I notice as I watch Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries, really anything. Also if you would like to look at my art work (though I haven't updated in a while and I really should get some more current stuff on there) you can go to my Deviant Art page which is also lookingatthepieces. _

_Just saying, I'd love to connect with my readers in a place where its more of a discussion._

_This Fanfiction is really inspired by the soothing sounds of Ingrid Michaelson. Her songs are so Dean and Cas it hurts. A lot._

_Also did you guys hear? Felica Day is returning to Supernatural in 8x11 'LARP and the Real Girl'. Really excited about that- because Charlie. Fuck yeah. And Garth is supposed to be in 8x06. Yayness._

_Anyway, I'm rambling so I'll end it here._

_**Rate, Review, Favorite! It means so much!**_


End file.
